With approximately CHF 30 billion, the transport industry generates nearly 8% of Switzerland’s GDP. Almost half of this is generated by private road transport. However, it is the additional benefits of individual projects, and not the overall benefits, that are the relevant factors in decision making for expansion of transport capacity. High overall benefits do not provide a basis to argue that transport should not carry its full costs, as these benefits of transport favour passengers, or are redistributed via the market. These are the conclusions of a study providing a systematic survey and new findings about this controversial issue. The first section, prepared in co-operation with an expert group of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), shows that in many cases the transport sector’s contribution to economic growth and regional economic developments has been overestimated. The second section analyses the value added, and the interdependence of industry sectors, by means of a more detailed input/output table showing the transport cost shares of various sectors, and the multiplier effects from increased demand. The third section determines the benefits enjoyed by car users and rail travellers by using sophisticated questionnaires. A leisure trip from Bern to Zurich, for example, provides a benefit of CHF 63. (A)
Abstract