Postgraduate - UnitCIV5315 - Transport economics

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

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Level	Postgraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering
Organisational Unit	Department of Civil Engineering
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2013 (Off-campus)
Coordinator(s)	G Rose, M Arblaster

Synopsis

This unit provides an introduction to contemporary analytical methods and issues in transport economics, with particular relevance to transport operations, infrastructure investment and policy decision-making. Fundamental concepts and methods relevant to demand, cost, pricing and investment analysis and decision-making are covered. The important role of regulations in the operations of markets and transport operations is considered as are the forms and impacts of different types of government intervention, deregulation and privatisation in transport markets and operations. The unit emphasises the application of transport economics principles to contemporary policy issues in transport.

Outcomes

The objectives of the unit are to develop knowledge/understanding of:

factors influencing transport and travel demand, empirical demand estimation and analysis, and application to travel demand modelling;
cost concepts and their measurement, and application to decision-making for transport operations and investment;
market structure, conduct and performance analysis of transport markets, including supply and demand analysis of competitive markets, and social welfare comparisons of competition and monopoly;
pricing transport services, including profit maximisation and social welfare maximisation strategies;
role of governments in influencing the institutional environment within which transport operations take place, and the impact of different types of government intervention and deregulation on transport markets and operations; and
cost benefit analysis basic principles (including consumers' surplus) and their application to transport decision-making

Assessment

Assignments: 50%, Examination (3 hours): 50%.
Students are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component (assignments, tests, mid-semester exams, laboratory reports) and at least 45% in the final examination component and an overall mark of 50% to achieve a pass grade in the unit. Students failing to achieve this requirement will be given a maximum of 45% in the unit.

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Jeffrey Walker

Contact hours

150 hours study