{"title":"The Effects of Social Distancing Measures on COVID-19 Spreads in European Countries","authors":"Martin Pažický","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2023-0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0004","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study investigates the effects of social distancing measures on various types of social mobility, using country- and day-fixed effects on a panel of daily data comprising 29 European countries. Although social distancing measures proved to be significant for all types of mobility in the examined period, they are best captured by retail and recreation mobility. Linear effects of restrictive measures on COVID-19 cases and deaths are examined by OLS regression with country- and day-fixed effects on a panel of 29 European countries, while non-linear effects were investigated by quantile regressions. Stricter mobility restrictions significantly reduced COVID-19 cases and deaths, but the variant of the virus was also an important determinant. Although the Delta variant was much more infectious, its mortality reduced. However, the impact of social distancing measures on COVID-19 cases and deaths was not constant but strengthened with increasing quantiles of the distribution of cases and deaths, suggesting that an early response from policy-makers was very important. Vaccination brought benefits for both cases and deaths, but a particularly beneficial effect can be seen on COVID-19 deaths. The vaccination benefits grew with the share of the vaccinated population. Distrust in public institutions proved to have a negative impact on both COVID-19 cases and deaths. The inclusion of a set of control variables (health, economic, social and demographic) revealed that country characteristics such as cardiovascular mortality, the share of male smokers, economic development, the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty, population density, the quality of education or the share of rural population were important determinants of COVID-19 spreads. The analysis of the linear and nonlinear effects of the stringency of measures on various categories of sales according to the digital cash collection system (eKasa) in Slovakia revealed that sales in essential sectors for consumers, such as retail and grocery stores, were relatively resistant to tightening measures, while sectors that are less essential for consumers were more sensitive to social distancing measures.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":"23 1","pages":"105 - 158"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48536154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The change of commuting behaviour with planned high-speed railways in Czechia","authors":"V. Pařil, M. Viturka, Václav Rederer","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2022-0016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2022-0016","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper is focused on high-speed railway planning and its general aim is to assess potential commuting behaviour change on the example of planned high-speed railway in Czechia. We used standard geographical methods based on census data from 2011 in relevant ten regional centres and two important railway junctions that will be connected to high-speed railway according to planned network. The rest of three regional centres not planned to be connected to high-speed railway are disregarded. We assessed the attractiveness of relevant centre for commuter mobility change. The results document the strategic position of Prague as the main commuting centre, which relevant indicators significantly exceed all other labour mobility centres (the second most crucial centre Brno is about half the important one). This fact was confirmed by analyzing gradient labour areas and evaluating commuting relations among relevant centres. The assessment of potential impacts of HSR on labour markets is then carried out using the model of the marginal rate of labour mobility, where it is possible to count on positive impacts except for Prague on two other commuter centres, Brno and Pilsen. In the case of other analyzed centres, we can count on increasing the potential of a trip for work to the centres mentioned above.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":"107 5","pages":"1 - 13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41306815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Political Will and Economic Necessity? The Construction of High-Speed Rail Networks in Portugal and East Germany","authors":"P. Szobi, Tomáš Nigrin, J. Oravec","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2022-0017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2022-0017","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article aims two EU member countries (i.e. Portugal and Germany) from different regions in Europe which have, for decades, been following common strategies regarding HSR development. The authors discuss the economic profitability vs. political aims, which were related to rail modernization. The text outlines the historic background of early railway construction, important milestones for a new level of rail planning in the 1980s and 1990s in both Portugal and Germany and delays in the realization of HSR projects, their rising costs, and the opposition of the public against the new lines. The experience of the countries under scope serves as an example for other EU members who have plans to take part in the Trans-European Transport Network.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":"23 1","pages":"19 - 34"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48545297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The impact of city public transportation use on the competitiveness between high-speed rail and the car: The example of the Prague – Brno connection","authors":"M. Kowalski, Miroslav Marada, Jakub Chmelík","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2022-0018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2022-0018","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The aim of the paper is to determine how fast the HSR connection in conjunction with public transport between Brno and Prague should be in order to be time-competitive with car use. Brno and Prague are the largest agglomerations in Czechia and, according to the Czech government’s plan, the first HSR will be built between them. The competitive speed of high-speed trains is derived from mathematical accessibility models created in GIS. The route planner in Google Maps and control supplementary sources were used as a source of data on the speed of public transport connections and the travel time of cars. The effect of a possible relocation of the main Brno railway station is also considered. The derived optimal competitive speed is slightly higher than the current plans assume.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":"23 1","pages":"35 - 46"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47196453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Stellner, Marek Vokoun, Tomáš Nigrin, Marek Kasa
{"title":"Characteristics of Austrian passenger transport policy development since the 1950s","authors":"F. Stellner, Marek Vokoun, Tomáš Nigrin, Marek Kasa","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2022-0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2022-0014","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper investigates the transport policy development and characteristics of the Austrian passenger transport sector from the 1950s onwards. The analysed performance indicators deal with the three most prevalent modes of transport (cars, trains and airplanes) and are linked to independent decision-making units (passengers) and their motives (price, quality and time to destination) as well as to goals and decisions involved in government policies. In this theoretical framework, we identified three developmental phases, using an interdisciplinary approach to assess the development of three variables of interest (number of car, air and train passengers). In the long term, transport policy aimed to solve the rigidity and lack of vision in train transport and the extensive use of cars. Air transport was a steadily growing segment in a close and positive relationship with trains, which is in line with the transport political orientation towards Vienna Airport and train connections to the capital city. The post-war phase (1945–1970) was characterised by enormous growth in the number of cars, an upswing in air transport and stagnant train transport. The second phase (1970–1994) was defined by a progressive liberalisation of rail transport and a plan to balance the growth rates of car, train and airplane performance variables. Finally, in the 1995–2019 phase, the growth in train transport increased; however, this growth remained far below the growth rates of air and car performance variables. Transport policy achievements and shortcomings for future research are suggested.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":"22 1","pages":"293 - 315"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48907413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spillover effects of economic policy uncertainty on adult and youth unemployment","authors":"Silvo Dajčman, Alenka Kavkler, Natalia Levenko, Dejan Romih","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2023-0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0001","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The paper studies the effects of foreign (the US, the UK and the Chinese) and domestic economic policy uncertainty (EPU) shocks on unemployment in Germany, France, Italy and Spain. The analysis is run separately for the rates of adult and youth unemployment. Impulse responses derived from vector autoregressive models show that the magnitudes of the responses of the adult and youth segments of the labour market are quite different. Following an uncertainty shock, the youth unemployment rate increases significantly more than the adult unemployment rate. This is the case for France, Italy and Spain. The German labour market seems to be resistant to foreign (except Chinese) and domestic EPU shocks, while the remaining labour markets, foremost the Spanish and Italian ones, are susceptible to uncertainty shocks, especially to the US EPU shocks.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":"23 1","pages":"47 - 70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41477071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Travel behaviour changes during the pandemic: Prague-Pilsen rail case study","authors":"Simona Surmařová, Martin Vrána, Jan Ilík","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2022-0015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2022-0015","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of our everyday lives. Governments have taken numerous measures to contain the spread of the pandemic, which has had a direct impact on daily mobility, modal choice and the function of public transport. This study uses quantitative and qualitative data to describe how the pandemic influenced travel on the Prague-Pilsen (Praha-Plzeň) railway line. The results of the case study on the Prague-Pilsen railway line are consistent with experiences in other countries. 38% decrease in passenger numbers was found between 2019 and 2020. Although numbers are increasing again, they still have not reached the pre-pandemic level. The number of connections has also decreased by a third on average (2019 to 2020). We also conducted in-depth interviews with train passengers on the above-mentioned route. Two-thirds of passengers stated that the frequency of their journeys had not been affected by the pandemic. However, like the other participants, they described other changes caused by the pandemic. Fear of infection played an important role, and the inconvenience of overcrowding was mentioned several times. The switch from buses to trains was mentioned, as was the fact that more and more travellers prefer to travel first class. In some cases, changes in the temporality of trips were also documented. The survey suggests that respondents travel less frequently by train for systematic, functional, health or social reasons.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":"22 1","pages":"317 - 332"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47287821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The disutility of driving below the speed limit on highways","authors":"N. Filipi, Bára Karlínová, Ondřej Krčál","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2022-0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2022-0012","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Reducing travel speed below the highway speed limit leads to savings in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. However, car drivers may be reluctant to drive more slowly either because they do not want to lose time or for other reasons we refer to as ‘the disutility of driving at lower speeds’. In this paper, we use a survey experiment to isolate the disutility of driving at lower speeds by comparing drivers’ willingness to accept compensation for a fixed increase in travel time caused either by taking a longer route or by travelling at below-limit speeds. We show that Czech drivers require higher compensation for travelling at lower speeds than they require for the same travel time increment caused by a longer distance. This result represents the first piece of evidence showing that the disutility of driving at below-limit speeds on a highway is substantial and economically relevant.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":"22 1","pages":"267 - 277"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48030044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jakub Petříček, Marek Komárek, Miroslav Marada, Jakub Randák
{"title":"Planned construction of HSR in Czechia and occasional long-distance work commuting: impact of passenger income","authors":"Jakub Petříček, Marek Komárek, Miroslav Marada, Jakub Randák","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2022-0013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2022-0013","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article analyses occasional work commuting mobility within three major metropolitan areas in Czechia in the context of future HSR routes. The main aim is to explain uneven commuting flows of inter-metropolitan travelers through their level of income, given their potential for the use of HSR from a demand perspective. To achieve the goals, the paper uses quantitative data analysis methods performed on a selection of 228 respondents who realized at least one business trip between Prague and Brno or Prague and Ostrava between January and September 2019. The results reveal that the level of income plays a significant role in the issue of using potential high-speed lines for occasional long-distance commutes.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":"22 1","pages":"279 - 291"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46754461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of Development Aid on Donor’s Exports: A Case of the Czech Republic","authors":"Gabriela Dufková, Pavel Šálek","doi":"10.2478/revecp-2022-0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2022-0008","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The main goal of foreign aid should be the support of developing regions; however, due to the rising international requirements on the amount of provided aid, donors start to focus on the benefits aid can bring them as well. Both country-specific and general studies have been conducted to evaluate the return of aid from the donor’s perspective, with the majority of them suggesting that provided aid boosts donor’s exports to the developing countries. As no such analysis exists for the Czech Republic, this paper tries to fill this gap and aims to find out whether there is a positive relationship between the Czech aid and Czech exports. While employing the gravity model of international trade, the study, however, suggests that the Czech aid is not statistically significant for the volume of Czech exports. Unlike other donors, the Czech Republic thus leaves a considerable trade potential arising from the foreign aid untapped. The reasons might be other motives behind the Czech aid (both official and unofficial), poor co-operation of aid and trade policies, or changes in trade patterns.","PeriodicalId":43002,"journal":{"name":"Review of Economic Perspectives","volume":"22 1","pages":"171 - 191"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44097518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}