The perception and image of shipping

The image of the shipping industry plays a vital role in developing maritime transport as a major future, sustainable transport alternative. In particular, it is crucial to understand the image the shipping industry has among young people and the anatomy of the concept in order to be able to effectively promote careers in shipping, to cultivate shipping as an attractive labour market and to develop attractive educational programmes. The focus of this paper is the image of the shipping industry. This study reports on the findings of a large-scale survey of the image of shipping- and image-related concepts among upper secondary school pupils in Sweden, Norway and Greece. We define and analyse empirically by means of multivariate statistical analysis the anatomy of the image concept. We identify various image dimensions, estimate how young people rate the shipping industry along these dimensions and estimate their relative importance to young people who are planning their future careers. The results from this study can be used as a base for describing and explaining the images that young people have of the shipping industry. Such knowledge is fundamental for deriving and developing constructive strategies to promote careers in shipping, to adapt shipping to the expectations of young people and to develop creative and relevant educational programmes. Finally, understanding the image of shipping among young people is important not only for the shipping industry, but for other stakeholders as well, such as ship-owners associations, trade associations, labour unions, transport authorities and administrations and policy makers at the national and supra-national level.     

Contractual PPPs for Transport Infrastructure in Spain: Lessons from the Economic Recession

In this paper, we analyse the successes and failures of contractual public-private partnerships (PPPs) for delivering and operating transport infrastructure in Spain from the award of the first toll highway concession programme to the present. To that end, we show the risk allocation principles used in Spain and explore the evolution of the contracting approaches over the years. We found that the performance was reasonably good until the arrival of the economic crisis in 2008. Taking advantage of that, we make a review of contractual PPPs for different transport modes and assess the impact that the economic crisis has had on their business performance and the capacity of the central and regional governments to fulfil their commitments with the private sector. This analysis enabled us to identify measures that, if had been applied, would have improved the resilience of these contract during the economic crisis.     

Single wheel hub motor failures and their impact on vehicle and driver behaviour

This research work studies the impact of single wheel hub motor failures on the dynamic behaviour of electric vehicles and the corresponding driver reactions. An experimental study in a moving-base driving simulator is conducted to analyse the influence of single wheel hub motor failures for motorway speeds. Driver reaction times are derived from the measured data and discussed in their experimental context. The failure is rated objectively on the dynamic behaviour of the vehicle and compared to the subjective evaluation. Findings indicate that critical traffic situations impairing traffic safety can occur for motorway speeds. Clear counteractions by the drivers had to be taken.     

On the use of “average delay” as a measure of train reliability

We investigate how passengers on long-distance trains value unexpected delays relative to scheduled travel time and travel cost. For scheduled services with high reliability and long headways, the value of delays is most commonly assumed to be proportional to the average delay. By exploring how the valuation of train delays depends on delay risk and delay length, using three different stated choice data sets, we find that the “average delay” approach does not hold: the disutility increases slower than linearly in the delay risk. This means that using the average delay as a performance indicator, a guide for operations planning or for investment appraisal will underestimate the value of small risks of long delays relative to large risks for short delays. It also means that estimated valuations of “average delay” will depend on the delay risk level: valuations will be higher the lower the risk levels in the study are.     

Modeling traffic's flow-density relation: Accommodation of multiple flow regimes and traveler types

This research investigates freeway-flow impacts of different traveler types by specifying and applying a latent-segmentation model of congested and uncongested driving behaviors. Drivers in uncongested conditions are assumed to drive at self-chosen speeds, while drivers in congested conditions are assumed to take speed as given and choose a spacing (between their vehicle and the previous vehicle). Several classes of driver-vehicle combinations are distinguished in a data set based on double-loop-detector pulses and a household travel survey. These classifications are made on the basis of vehicle type and gender, leading to class estimates of speeds and spacings. The segmentation model is specified as a logit function of density, weather, and vehicle type, leading to estimates of congested-condition probabilities. Unobserved heterogeneity is incorporated in all models via common error assumptions.Results indicate that segmentation models are promising tools for traffic data analysis and that information on travelers, their vehicles, and weather conditions explains significant variation in flow data. By clarifying a greater understanding of traffic conditions and traveler behavior explains much scatter in the fundamental relation between flow, speed, and density, can assist regions in their traffic-management efforts and engineers in their design of roadway facilities. Ultimately, such improvements to travel networks should enhance quality of life.