Abstract

In the 1980s the carbon-mitigation strategy of Taiwan focused on the recycling of community waste (Chang and Chang, 1993). In the 1990s and 2000s the strategy shifted to reducing the Green House Effect and introducing low-carbon energy technologies such as wind power, solar power, gas, biomass energy, and other reusable energies. Many policies tried to encourage businesses to development reusable energies such as tax deductions or subsidies. Many researches attempted to evaluate the policy effectiveness of the reduction of the various types of pollution, and most of results found that the reduction effects were not as good as the policy claimed or expected (Lee, 1996, Lee, 2003,Wang, 1999). In recent years, the government has tried to embed green construction, green life and green transportation into people's lives. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

The author describes a bold effort by the state government to increase private sector participation in Rio de Janeiro's urban transport sector, reduce heavy operating subsidies, and establish a foundation for making the sector sustainable. This effort was undertaken with the help of three World Bank-financed loans: * The Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Transport Loan, which provided assistance for the transfer of federally owned suburban railways to the state government. * The Rio de Janeiro State Reform and Privatization Loan, which helped the state privatize and grant concessions for a number of its enterprises. * The Rio de Janeiro Mass Transit Loan, which supported the reorganization of the sector and the concession of the Rio suburban railways (Flumitrens). Most of the reforms in the urban transport sector have been implemented. The lessons learned from implementation and the results obtained so far suggest that political decisiveness, transparency, and ingenuity in developing incentives are crucial to privatizing urban rail transport systems. But the state also learned that not having a credible staff redundancy program might seriously reduce the benefits expected from concessions. Document type: Book

Abstract

Economically efficient prices for the passenger transportation system in the Greater Cairo Metropolitan Area would account for broader societal costs of traffic congestion and accidents, and local and global pollution. A $2.20 per gallon gasoline tax (2006 US$) would be economically efficient, compared with the current subsidy of $1.20 per gallon. Removal of the existing subsidy alone would achieve about three-quarters of the net benefits from subsidy elimination and the tax. Per-mile tolls could target congestion and accident externalities more efficiently than fuel taxes, although they are not practical at present. A combination of $0.80 per gallon gasoline tax to address pollution (versus $2.20 without tolls), and $0.12 and $0.19 tolls per vehicle mile on automobiles and microbuses, respectively, to address traffic congestion and accident externalities (versus $0.22 without fuel taxes) would be most efficient. Current public bus and rail subsidies are relatively close to efficient levels in the absence of such policies; however, if automobile and microbus externalities were fully addressed through more efficient pricing, optimal subsides to public transit would be smaller than current levels. Document type: Book

Abstract

A summary is given of research evaluating the economic effects of existing and prospective federal policies governing intercity and international freight and passenger transportation enterprises in the economy of the United States. The analysis encompasses all modes of transportation, including rail, motor, water, air and intermodal coordinative institutions, and focuses upon the impact of alternative regulatory policies. However, other federal policies including subsidy, taxation, procurement, government ownership and investment, special programs for particular transportation industry problems and impacts of general national policies on transportation will be included when relevant. Economic evaluation includes the study of efficient resource allocation and distributional effects of alternative policies together with consideration of both partial and general equilibrium effects. The research is interdisciplinary in scope, drawing upon engineering, economics, statistics, law and administration. Document type: Report