Traffic congestion in Europe : Report of the hundred and tenth round table on transport economics, held in 1998

195 Pages·1999·4.257 MB·English

by  OECD

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ECONOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE
REPORT OF THE
HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH ROUND TABLE
ON TRANSPORT ECONOMICS
held in Paris on 15th-16th October 1998
On the following topic:
TRANSPORT AND LEISURE
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT (ECMT)
The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) is an inter-governmental organisation
established by a Protocol signed in Brussels on 17 October 1953. It is a forum in which Ministers
responsible for transport, and more specifically the inland transport sector, can co-operate on policy.
Within this forum, Ministers can openly discuss current problems and agree upon joint approaches aimed
at improving the utilisation and at ensuring the rational development of European transport systems
of international importance.
At present, the ECMT’s role primarily consists of:
– helping to create an integrated transport system throughout the enlarged Europe that is economically
and technically efficient, meets the highest possible safety and environmental standards and
takes full account of the social dimension;
– helping also to build a bridge between the European Union and the rest of the continent at a
political level.
The Council of the Conference comprises the Ministers of Transport of 39 full Member countries:
Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the
Russian Federation, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the
United Kingdom. There are five Associate member countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and
the United States) and three Observer countries (Armenia, Liechtenstein and Morocco).
A Committee of Deputies, composed of senior civil servants representing Ministers, prepares
proposals for consideration by the Council of Ministers. The Committee is assisted by working groups,
each of which has a specific mandate.
The issues currently being studied – on which policy decisions by Ministers will be required –
include the development and implementation of a pan-European transport policy; the integration of
Central and Eastern European Countries into the European transport market; specific issues relating to
transport by rail, road and waterway; combined transport; transport and the environment; the social costs
of transport; trends in international transport and infrastructure needs; transport for people with mobility
handicaps; road safety; traffic management; road traffic information and new communications technologies.
Statistical analyses of trends in traffic and investment are published regularly by the ECMT and
provide a clear indication of the situation, on a trimestrial or annual basis, in the transport sector in
different European countries.
As part of its research activities, the ECMT holds regular Symposia, Seminars and Round Tables on
transport economics issues. Their conclusions are considered by the competent organs of the Conference
under the authority of the Committee of Deputies and serve as a basis for formulating proposals for
policy decisions to be submitted to Ministers.
The ECMT’s Documentation Service has extensive information available concerning the transport
sector. This information is accessible on the ECMT Internet site.
For administrative purposes the ECMT’s Secretariat is attached to the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Publié en français sous le titre :
TRANSPORT ET LOISIRS
Further information about the ECMT is available on Internet at the following address:
http://www.oecd.org/cem/
© ECMT 2000 – ECMT Publications are distributed by: OECD Publications Service,
2, rue André-Pascal, 75775 PARIS CEDEX 16, France.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTORY REPORTS
GERMANY
HEINZE, G.W...............................................................................................................................5
AUSTRIA
KNOFLACHER, H......................................................................................................................53
FRANCE
POTIER, F...................................................................................................................................89
NETHERLANDS
KALFS, N. and MEURS, H.......................................................................................................123
UNITED KINGDOM
GRAHAM, A.............................................................................................................................147
SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS
(Round Table debate on reports).......................................................................................................175
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS....................................................................................................................187
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GERMANY
G. Wolfgang HEINZE
Technische Universität Berlin
Germany
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TRANSPORT AND LEISURE: GROWTH AS OPPORTUNITY1
SUMMARY
1. THE CHALLENGE OF LEISURE AND HOLIDAY TRAFFIC...................................................9
1.1. Transport policy and planning are solving yesterday’s problems...........................................9
1.2. The biggest growth area is leisure and holiday traffic.............................................................9
1.3. The boundary between leisure and holiday traffic is becoming blurred...............................11
1.4. The “valiant little tailor” as the cult figure of globalisation..................................................11
1.5. Jobs unaffected by crises in traditional tourist areas and new potentials..............................12
2. TOWARDS A NEW STRATEGY FOR CENTRAL EUROPE...................................................13
2.1. Leisure traffic is particularly underestimated........................................................................13
2.2. “Leisure traffic” as a catch-up solution with a future............................................................14
2.3. Does “more leisure traffic” have to mean even more traffic growth?...................................15
2.4. Key elements of a new strategy.............................................................................................15
3. THE TOWN AS A LEISURE AREA...........................................................................................16
3.1. “Home” is still “in”................................................................................................................16
3.2. The disurbanisation and reurbanisation of our towns are stages on the way to
town-country association. This favours a new leisure concept, a new transport
policy and a new PT...............................................................................................................16
3.3. Large leisure facilities are better than people say..................................................................20
3.4. The more motorised “necessary traffic” is avoided, the more “wish traffic” appears.
Therefore human improvements in the living environment come first.................................22
3.5. As the quality of life in our towns rises, so does their tourism value....................................25
4. THE CHALLENGE FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT (PT)..............................................................27
4.1. Above all, PT has to make itself popular...............................................................................27
4.2. If PT can handle leisure traffic, then we also have the solution to
other transport problems in our conurbations........................................................................28
4.3. What is wanted, and what has long existed in niche markets, is a “New PT”......................29
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5. DRIVING PLEASURE AS OPPORTUNITY..............................................................................32
5.1. Intrinsic motives and purpose mobility are pre-eminent in leisure........................................32
5.2. Leisure traffic as the spearhead for new, or a renaissance of old, transport
technologies...........................................................................................................................33
6. NATURAL AREAS AS LEISURE AREAS................................................................................34
6.1. Because sports close to nature endanger the attractiveness of the areas
in which they are practised, they need discipline..................................................................34
6.2. A policy to control numbers can work without problems......................................................36
6.3. Because leisure traffic is a growth area, the rules of the game will change. But this
too is an advantage.................................................................................................................39
7. TRANSPORT AND TOURISM AS SYMBIOSIS.......................................................................41
7.1. Transport and tourism find themselves in a strategic reorientation.......................................41
7.2. The transport and tourist industries have much to offer each other......................................42
7.3. Above all, transport and tourism are stronger together.........................................................43
8. CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................44
NOTES..................................................................................................................................................46
BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................................48
Berlin, March 1998
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