Ensayos sobre el análisis econométrico del uso del transporte y de las políticas públicas para su sostenibilidad

Abstract

The reduction of pollution in the transport sector is essential for the energy transition and achieving the objectives of the 2030 agenda. In this doctoral thesis, through three essays, we focus on investigating public policy measures that promote the use of Public Transport as an environmental alternative to the private car and those that promote the substitution of combustion vehicles for clean vehicles (hybrid and electric). Specifically, the first two essays evaluate the impact of the subsidies on public transport price for young people and the elderly on beneficiary household well-being (equity). As for the second essay, it also deals with the analysis of the impact of urban public transport subsidies on economic efficiency. Both essays focus on analyzing the case of the Madrid region. The econometric techniques Differences in Differences and Regression in Discontinuity were used, respectively. The third essay focuses on identifying the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that influence the purchase of clean vehicles (hybrid and electric) using the logistic regression econometric technique for all of Spain. The three essays have used data from the Household Budget Survey of the Spanish National Institute of Statistics. In our studies we have reached interesting results: the subsidy policies analyzed achieve the objectives of economic equity since they benefit the poorest groups in society. However, the greatest beneficiaries of these policies are households with high-middle income levels (subsidies for young people) or high-income levels (subsidies for the elderly), which suggests the need to include income criteria for such subsidy policies. In relation to the economic efficiency of urban public transport subsidies, the results show that even when the subsidies are very generous, as is the case of subsidies for people over 65 years of age, if the beneficiaries are employed, and therefore have commuting for work reasons, the increase in the relative price of fuels, derived from the analyzed policy measure, is not enough to encourage the substitution of private vehicle use by public transport. Regarding the penetration of clean vehicles in the market, the results show that there are economic barriers to their penetration in the market that are related to the income level of potential buyers and other variables closely linked to income level. However, there are also socio-economic characteristics that are advantageous for the growth of the clean vehicle sector, such as the age and gender of potential buyers. Public policies aimed at promoting the purchase of clean vehicles must consider the first aspect and, therefore, the economic aid granted to buy a clean car must be linked to the income level of the beneficiary. These are topics of great academic and social interest that contribute to the economic analysis of the use of transportation and the design of public policies that promote its social and environmental sustainability.