This book is the first comprehensive analysis of transport efficiency in China. It presents a series of rigorous empirical analysis for the operation and environmental efficiencies of major transport sectors, including highway, railway, civil aviation, and waterway. It also evaluates transport safety of China.
The book innovatively employs a DEA model based on Epsilon measures (EBM) to evaluate transport efficiency and an EBM DEA model with undesirable outputs to calculate transport environmental efficiency. The factors of transport efficiency are quantitatively studied, including economic growth, social transition, and technology changes. Also, China's policies aimed at improving transportation efficiency are evaluated.
The theoretical analyses and discussions would enhance our existing knowledge of the changes and determinants of transport system’s efficiency in a context of rapid urbanization, industrialization, and marketization in China. The findings of the existing policy evaluation would bring fresh evidences for transport policy performances to both scholars and politicians. In particular, it shows policymakers the experiences or lessons of how to create an efficient transport system in order to save energy use, reduce GHGs emissions, and improve social security.
This book is of great interest to scholars interested in sustainable transport, regional planning and development, environmental policy and is relevant to China and other developing countries.
Author(s): Pengjun Zhao, Liangen Zeng
Series: Population, Regional Development and Transport
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 359
City: Singapore
Preface
Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Research Background
1.2 Main Concepts
1.2.1 Transport Efficiency
1.2.2 Transport Environmental Efficiency
1.3 Main Content of the Book
1.4 Research Significance and Innovations of the Book
References
2 Research Methods
2.1 The Calculation Method of Transport Efficiency
2.2 The Calculation Method of Transport Environmental Efficiency
2.3 Regression Analysis Method
2.3.1 Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis
2.3.2 The Spatial Durbin Model (SDM)
References
3 Research Progress of Transport Efficiency
3.1 Measurements Methods
3.1.1 Index Analysis Method
3.1.2 Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)
3.1.3 Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA)
3.2 Influencing Factors
3.2.1 Privatization Policy
3.2.2 Management Modes
3.2.3 Technical Progress
3.2.4 Government Subsidies
3.2.5 Enterprise Size
3.3 Research Regions
3.4 Summary
References
4 The Economic Operation of the Transport Industry
4.1 Fixed Asset Investment in the Transport Industry
4.1.1 The Investment Scale is Relatively Large, with Its Growth Rate Slowing Down in Recent Years
4.1.2 Highway Transport is the Most Important Investment Sector, and Investment in Air Transport is Growing Rapidly
4.1.3 Western China’s Share of Transport Investment is Growing
4.2 Economic Characters of the Transport Industry
4.2.1 The Economic Scale of the Transport Industry is at a High Level, and Its Growth Has Slowed Down in Recent Years
4.2.2 The Contribution Rate of the Transport Industry to Economic Growth is Declining
4.2.3 The Total Logistics Costs Are High
4.2.4 The Proportion of Railway Freight Transport is Obviously Low
4.2.5 Highway Transport is the Most Important Way of Passenger Transport
4.3 Transport Infrastructure Investment and Economic Growth
4.3.1 Data Source and Method
4.3.2 Results
4.4 Conclusions
4.4.1 Characteristics of Transport Investment
4.4.2 Characteristics of the Transport Economy
4.4.3 The Influence of Transport Investment on Economy
References
5 Highway Transport Efficiency
5.1 Background and Methods
5.1.1 Background
5.1.2 Methods
5.2 Measurement Results
5.2.1 The Overall Characteristics
5.2.2 The National HPTE and HFTE First Decreased and then Increased
5.2.3 Spatial Variations
5.3 Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis
5.3.1 The Global Moran’s I Analysis
5.3.2 Local Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis
5.4 Influencing Factors of HPTE and HFTE
5.4.1 Selection of Variables
5.4.2 Regression Analysis of HPTE
5.4.3 Regression Analysis of HFTE
5.5 Conclusions
5.5.1 The Spatial Distribution Differences of Both HPTE and HFTE in China Are Pretty Evident
5.5.2 The National HPTE and HFTE Generally Showed a Trend of First Decreasing and then Increasing
5.5.3 The Impact Mechanism of HPTE and HFTE
References
6 Railway Transport Efficiency
6.1 Background and Methods
6.1.1 Background
6.1.2 Methods
6.2 Measurement Results
6.2.1 The Overall Characteristics
6.2.2 Spatial Variations
6.3 Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis
6.3.1 The Global Moran’s I Analysis
6.3.2 Local Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis
6.4 Influencing Factors of RPTE and RFTE
6.4.1 Selection of Variables
6.4.2 Regression Analysis of RPTE
6.4.3 Regression Analysis of RFTE
6.5 Conclusions
6.5.1 The Overall Spatial Distribution Characteristics of RPTE and RFTE Were Similar
6.5.2 The National RPTE First Rose and then Declined, While RFTE Fluctuated in M Shape
6.5.3 The Impact Mechanism of RPTE and RFTE
References
7 Air Transport Efficiency
7.1 Background and Methods
7.1.1 Background
7.1.2 Methods
7.2 Measurement Results
7.2.1 The Overall Characteristics
7.2.2 Spatial Variations
7.3 Influencing Factors of ATE
7.3.1 Selection of Variables
7.3.2 Regression Analysis of ATE
7.4 Conclusions
7.4.1 The National ATE Was High
7.4.2 The National ATE Showed a Fluctuating Trend
7.4.3 The ATE in Coastal Areas and Northeast China Was High, but It Was Low in the Middle Reaches and Western Areas
7.4.4 The Impact Mechanism of ATE
References
8 Water Transport Efficiency
8.1 Background and Methods
8.1.1 Background
8.1.2 Methods
8.2 Measurement Results
8.2.1 The Overall Characteristics
8.2.2 Spatial Variations
8.3 Influencing Factors of WTE
8.3.1 Selection of Variables
8.3.2 Regression Analysis of WTE
8.4 Conclusions
8.4.1 Southeast Coastal Areas and Southwest Provinces Had Higher WTE
8.4.2 The Overall WTE was Stable First and then Increased
8.4.3 The Impact Mechanism of WTE
References
9 Urban Transport Efficiency
9.1 Background and Methods
9.1.1 Background
9.1.2 Methods
9.2 Analysis of UTE
9.2.1 The Overall Characteristics
9.2.2 The Time Difference Analysis of UTSE
9.2.3 The Spatial Difference Analysis of UTE
9.2.4 The Production Frontier Surface Analysis of UTE
9.3 Urban Transport Accessibility Analysis
9.4 Influencing Factors of UTE
9.4.1 Reasonable Road Grading System
9.4.2 Reasonable Transport Space Per Capita and Road Network Density
9.4.3 Control System of Urban Traffic Lights
9.4.4 The Non-linear Rate of Urban Roads
9.5 Conclusions
9.5.1 The Overall UTE is Still at a Low Level and Has Plenty of Room for Growth
9.5.2 The Spatial Difference of UTE is Large
9.5.3 The Cities with a High Level of UTAI are Mainly Located in Eastern Coastal Areas
Appendix
References
10 Transport Energy and Climate Change
10.1 Global Transport Energy Consumption and Climate Change
10.1.1 Energy Consumption and Climate Change
10.1.2 Transport Energy Consumption
10.1.3 Transport CO2 Emissions and Climate Change
10.1.4 New Trends
10.2 Transport Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions in China
10.2.1 Transport Energy Consumption in China
10.2.2 Measurement and Analysis of Transport CO2 Emissions in China
10.2.3 Prediction of Transport Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions in China
10.3 Conclusions
10.3.1 The Transport Sector Has Become the Largest Energy Consuming Sector in the World
10.3.2 The Transport Sector Has Become the Second Largest CO2 Emission Source Sector
10.3.3 The Energy Consumption of the Transport Sector in China Rose Steadily in the Twenty-First Century
10.3.4 The Total CO2 Emissions and Per Capita CO2 Emissions of the Transport Sector in China Have Increased Significantly in Recent years
References
11 Transport Environmental Efficiency in China
11.1 Research Progress in TEE
11.1.1 Existing Methods
11.1.2 Influencing Factors of TEE
11.2 Methods
11.3 Measurement Results
11.3.1 The Overall Characteristics of TEE in China
11.3.2 The Regional Characteristics of TEE in China
11.4 The Spatial Autocorrelation of TEE
11.4.1 Global Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis
11.4.2 Local Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis
11.5 Spatial Econometric Analysis of the Influencing Factors of TEE
11.5.1 Selection of Variables
11.5.2 Results of Spatial Durbin Regression
11.6 Review of Current Policies
11.6.1 Actions and Policies in 2017
11.6.2 Actions and Policies in 2018
11.7 Policy Recommendations for Improving TEE
11.7.1 The Government Should Reasonably Plan Transport Investment, Establish and Improve the Legal System of Energy Conservation, Emission Reduction and Low-Carbon Economic Policies in the Transport Sector
11.7.2 According to the Regional Economic Development Level, Different Transport Emission Reduction Schemes Should Be Implemented in Different Regions
11.7.3 Optimizing Regional Cooperation in Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction of the Transport Sector
11.7.4 Optimizing the Transport Structure
11.7.5 Technological Innovation Needs to Be Strengthened
11.7.6 Internal Structural Adjustment of the Transport Industry
11.8 Conclusions
11.8.1 The National TEE First Decreased and then Increased, and the National Policy Plays a Significant Role in TEE
11.8.2 Coastal Regions Had the Highest Level of TEE, Followed by Central and Western Regions
11.8.3 Transport Structure and Technological Progress Have a Positive Impact on TEE, While Urbanization Level and Urban Population Density Have a Significant Negative Impact on TEE
References
12 Transport Safety
12.1 Research Progress in Traffic Safety
12.1.1 Micro-Level Influencing Factors
12.1.2 Macro Socio-Economic Factors
12.1.3 General Comment
12.2 The Characteristics of Road Traffic Accidents and Casualties in China
12.2.1 Traffic Accidents, Injuries and Deaths Have Dropped Sharply Since 2003
12.2.2 The Rates of Road Traffic Accidents and Fatalities are High
12.2.3 The Heavy Goods Vehicle is a Major Vehicle Type in Road Traffic Accidents
12.2.4 Traffic Accidents on Expressways Should not be Ignored
12.2.5 The Rural Road Safety Situation is Still Grim
12.2.6 The Number of Casualties in Urban Road Traffic Accidents is Relatively Small, but the Accident Frequency Rate is High
12.2.7 Electric Bicycles Have Become a Major Killer on Roads
12.2.8 Costal and Southwestern Regions Face Serious Traffic Safety Issues
12.2.9 Transport Safety Has Been Improved in Most Provinces, but Has Deteriorated in Some Provinces
12.3 Temporal and Spatial Characteristics of RTMR
12.3.1 Temporal and Spatial Characteristics of RTMR
12.3.2 Changes in RTMR
12.3.3 Spatial Distribution Characteristics of RTMR
12.4 Empirical Analysis the Influencing Factors of Traffic Safety
12.4.1 Selection of Macro Influencing Factors
12.4.2 Tobit Regression Analysis
12.5 Policy Review and Recommendations
12.5.1 Review of Transport Safety Policy in China
12.5.2 The Traffic Safety Policy of Local Governments
12.5.3 General Comment on Transport Safety Policy in China
12.5.4 Policy Recommendations
12.6 Conclusions
12.6.1 China Has Made Great Progress in Road Traffic Safety, but the Overall Level of Road Transport Safety is Low Compared with Developed Countries
12.6.2 Coastal and Inland Regions Have Serious Road Traffic Safety Issues
12.6.3 Influencing Factors of Transport Safety
References
13 Summary
13.1 Main Findings
13.1.1 China’s Railway Transport Features Low Technical Efficiency, Highway and Water Transport Features Moderate Technical Efficiency, and Air Transport Features High Technical Efficiency
13.1.2 The HFTE, HPTE, RPTE, RFTE and TEE in China Show a Strong Spatial Correlation, While the ATE and WTE in China do not Have Any Spatial Correlation
13.1.3 The Efficiency of Various Transport Sub-Sectors is Mainly Affected by the Economic Development Level, Population Density, Urbanization Level, Transport Infrastructure Level, Industrial Structure and Other Factors
13.1.4 The TEE in China is Mainly Affected by the Economic Development Level, Urbanization Level, Transport Infrastructure Level and Industrial Structure
13.1.5 The Transport Sector is the Second Largest Energy Consuming Sector and the Third Largest Source of Carbon Emissions in China
13.1.6 The Number of Traffic Accidents and Injuries is on a Downward Trend, but the Overall Transport Safety is in a Severe Situation in China
13.1.7 During the Study Period, the RTMR Showed a Downward Trend
13.2 Theoretical Contributions
13.2.1 Showing the Characteristics and Influence Mechanism of Transport Efficiency in China Through Systematic Studies
13.2.2 Enriching the Research on Environmental Efficiency
13.2.3 Revealing the Impact Mechanism of Road Traffic Safety in China from a Macro Socio-Economic Perspective
13.3 Future Research Agenda
13.3.1 Future Changes in the World
13.3.2 Prospects for China’s Efficient Transport Network
13.3.3 Prospects for Research Topics
References
