Making business sense in the transport world

Efficient transport underpins the vitality of our economy and society. We apply clear economics logic to the issues facing our clients in the transport industries.

• Demonstrating the case for public investment in transport

Case Study: Quantifying the impact of rail services on the Northwest regional macroeconomy

Our client, a consortium of regional transport providers, public sector agencies and business interests, is concerned about the central government’s failure to solve long-standing problems of under-capacity on the rail network in Manchester, Merseyside and the wider northwest region. Our path-breaking and ongoing research systematically demonstrates the close links between the region’s prosperity and its transport infrastructure, and we show how future growth in one of England’s largest regional economies may be constrained without strategic investment in the rail network. .

• Modelling and forecasting demand

Case Study: Getting the pricing right for a unique new car

Our client, a luxury car manufacturer, had developed an innovative new small car. They asked us to help them forecast its sales and get their pricing strategy right. Our detailed statistical analysis of the sales of thousands of car models allowed us to assess accurately the likely appeal of this vehicle’s revolutionary mix of characteristics. .

• Optimising the transport offer across modes

Case Study: An optimal pricing strategy for station car parks

Our client, a commuter rail company, inherited an impressive portfolio of prime location car parks as well as a pricing structure from them which was inscrutable and inconsistent. We developed for our client an systematic analytical tool to assess each car park on a case-by-case basis and to set prices that maximised parking revenue without deterring rail passengers and harming fares revenues.

• Understanding the impact of government policy

Case Study: Assessing the tax competitiveness of the road haulage industry

In the face of the highest fuel duties in Europe and a falling market share on cross Channel routes, the Road Haulage Association asked us to examine the economic impacts of tax parity with European competitors. We quantified the impacts of this change in policy on the key measures of the health of the economy such as GDP, investment and the public finances, and found a strong case for changing the tax structure.

• Encouraging change

Case Study: Encouraging co-operation to drive down costs

With increasing road congestion and the pending implementation of the working time directive, we were asked to help reduce our client’s logistics costs. We helped them communicate a future vision of rising costs to haulage suppliers if they did not improve their productivity. In the workshop that followed, we successfully facilitated collaborative measures to improve productivity and meet these future challenges to the industry.

• Assessing the impact of new transport on development and property values

Case Study: Quantifying the development value of new transport links

We helped a major property developer understand the impact on the value of their sizeable mixed-used development of different public transport schemes to link it to the city centre. This helped our client to lobby for the most advantageous scheme as well as assess their level of contribution.

• Quantifying the benefits to deprived communities of improved access

Case Study: Presenting a winning case for investment in disadvantaged areas

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive successfully sponsored the Leigh Busway through public enquiry supported by our detailed analysis of the potential impact on jobs in the deprived communities of east Manchester.