Transport, Trade and Economic Growth — Coupled or Decoupled?: An Inquiry into Relationships between Transport, Trade and Economic Growth and into User Preferences concerning Growth-oriented Transport Policy

Over the past decade, the transport industry has been the target of growing criticism over its role in the pollution of the environment, while the advocates of free trade stress the importance of transport in enhancing economic growth and consequently living standards. These starkly contrasting viewpoints have created a dilemma for politicians and business people alike. In order to address this challenge, the first part of this book provides an empirical analysis of the relationship between transport and economic growth, or more specifically, whether the "decoupling" of transport and economic growth is possible. Focusing on growth-oriented transport policy, the second part of this book provides details on the user preferences of logistic managers concerning the characteristics of transport infrastructure and services.