Changes in perceived travel cost and time for the work trip during a period of increasing gasoline costs

This study was designed to examine the relationship between actual and perceived values of cost and time for the work trip and to examine how perceptions have changed over a period of dramatically increased travel costs. Variations in the relationship between perceived and actual values were examined as a function of situational and attitudinal variables. Two telephone surveys were conducted one year apart (Fall 1978 and Fall 1979). On the next working day following a survey, a research assistant recreated the respondent's work trip, recorded time values and used distance measures, car type information and parking costs to compute travel cost. The first survey revealed that most auto users were unable to articulate dollars-and-cents driving costs for the work trip, but auto users in the second survey were able to provide fairly accurate cost estimates. Dramatic changes in fuel prices between surveys is probably the main reason for the change in driving cost awareness. Auto users were also asked to rate relative costs of driving a car compared to using the bus for the work trip. These ratings showed that auto users tended to underestimate driving costs relative to bus costs, but this tendency decreased from the first to the second time period. Commuters in all modal groups at both time periods tended to overestimate travel times. Perception of travel time varied as a function of mode, perceived comfort (for car users), and perceived convenience and number of transfers (for bus users).To whom correspondence should be addressed.     

A note on fare policy in personal rapid transit

The choice of fare policy is more flexible in personal rapid transit than in conventional transit and has some unique aspects. The implementation of fare policies as a function of distance are discussed, and, following a discussion of how the fare would be collected in a PRT system, consideration is given to whether the fare should be per person or per vehicle.     

The competitive environment of liner conferences

Although liner conferences are traditionally assumed to possess effective monopoly power, such a view ignores many important aspects of their competitive environment. This article examines some of these neglected competitive features and shows how they may decisively influence conference pricing strategies.

In the analysis of linear shipping, the notion that conferences are effective monopolists lies at the root of many of the grievances of the conference system. It has also become an integral part of the conventional wisdom of shipping economies, to such an extent that the monopoly power of conferences is virtually regarded as a matter of established fact rather than what it really is-namely a postulated assumption open to testing and refutation.

It is the purpose of this paper to explore the competitive conditions of the industry in which liner conferences operate and to try and establish the extent and limitations of their market power. This will involve an analysis of hte bariers to entry which conferences may be protected by, the manner in which the relevant industry should be defined, the possibility and consequences of new entry, and the response of conferences to their competitive environment.     

The impact of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970 on subsidized US ship construction

The United States Congress reasserted the desire for continued financial support to domestic merchant-ship construction when in 1970 it amended the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 [1]. With regard to the shipbuilding industry, the most significant changes contained in the Merchant Marine Act of 1970 [2] are those designed to reduce the construction differential subsidy and to increase the variety of vessels that might be subsidized. Sections 501(a), 502(a), and 502(b) of the 1936 Act were amended to facilitate the reduction in subsidies; Section 905(a) was modified to encourage the subsidized construction of liquid and dry bulk cargo vessels. After a cursory review of the 1970 amendments to the 1936 Act, this paper is directed to ascertaining the results, in general, of the changes and whether they have generated increased domestic shipyard productivity and lower subsidy rates.     

The Shetland fishing industry: its impact on local economic activity

This paper analyses the contribution of the fishing industry (catching and processing) to economic activity in the Shetland Islands. Using a Shetland input-output table, the economic characteristics of the industry itselfare discussed. The impact of fishing activities on other local sectors is measured in terms of output, income and employment. Appropriate fisheries multipliers are derived. Changes in fisheries impact over the period 1971-76 are analysed. Finally, a number of scenarios relating to hypothetical changes in fishing activity are examined.