Marginal cost-pricing in the Swedish transport sector – An efficient and sustainable way of funding local and regional public transport in the future?

Authors

Anders Ljungberg

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2016

Subject Area

place - europe, place - rural, place - urban, mode - bus, economics - subsidy, economics - pricing, policy - congestion, policy - sustainable, policy - environment

Keywords

Marginal cost, External effects, Internalisation, Optimal public transport, Bus, Funding

Abstract

Traffic results in negative external effects such as emissions, noise, congestion and infrastructural wear and tear. Public transport on the other hand, generates in many cases substantially larger positive system- and scale effects compared to its vehicle external marginal costs. This paper investigates actual external marginal costs of transport in Sweden for all modes of passenger transport in urban and rural areas and compare it to the level of positive system- and scale effects in local and regional public transport. The study is based on marginal costs of traffic in Sweden as reported in Transport Analysis yearly report to the government and on research on optimal public transport pricing. The numerical examples exemplify the situation in Sweden for a rural area (Jämtland County) and a larger urban area (Stockholm County). It is highlighted that taxes and fees in level with marginal costs can cover the existing financial deficit for public transport and an optimal subsidy in both the urban county and the rural county. However, among other things it is necessary to handle the legal aspects of such a funding of public transport before it could be used in the reality. Public transport are financed at county level, while the taxes and charges from traffic are an income on a national level.

Rights

Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

Comments

Research in Transportation Economics Home Page:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/07398859

Recommended Citation

Ljungberg, A. (2016). Marginal cost-pricing in the Swedish transport sector – An efficient and sustainable way of funding local and regional public transport in the future? Research in Transportation Economics, Available online 26 September 2016. In Press, Corrected Proof — Note to users.