This Round Table examines the basic case for liberalisation of the taxi industry, and reviews experiences with taxi (de-)regulation in OECD and ECMT member countries. There are a number of aspects to regulation of the taxi industry including entry, price and service quality regulation. The discussions of these aspects concluded that little empirical evidence supported the argument that entry restrictions improved capacity utilisation. On the contrary, the case could be made that increased entry and associated economies of density, as well as shorter passenger waiting times, warranted subsidies for entry.
Table of contents:
INTRODUCTORY REPORTS Quebec: The Role of Taxis In Public Transport by D. Cartier, Canada 1. Introduction 2. Background 3. A Portrait of the Industry 4. A Range of Taxi Services for Public Transport 5. How Taxi Service Reform Promotes Taxi Use 6. Conclusion Experiences with (De-)Regulation in the European Taxi Industry by J.-T. Bekken,Norway 1. Introduction 2. Conceptual Framework 3. Regulatory Approaches in Europe 4. Some Experiences with Regulatory Changes 5. Summary, Conclusions and Further Need for Research Deregulation of the Taxi Industry: Experiences in The Netherlands by P. Bakker, The Netherlands 1. Taxi Policy in The Netherlands 2. Monitoring Research 3. The Netherlands’ Taxi Industry: Structure and Market Developments during Four Years of Deregulation 4. Effectiveness of New Taxi Policy in The Netherlands 5. Policy Continuation Annex: International Comparative Survey Regulation of the Taxi Industry: Some Economic Background by A. and E. Liston-Heyes,United Kingdom 1. Introduction and Scope 2. Market Failure, Foundations for Regulation and Rationales for Economic Regulation in the Taxi Industry 3. Regulatory Instruments 4. Generic Problems with Regulation 5. Summary and Assessment Annex: A Formal Model of the Taxi Industry OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS When the Regulator Acknowledges the Existence of Two Distinct Markets for Taxi Services by R. Darbera, France Regulatory Capture, Property Rights and Taxi Deregulation - a Case Study by S. Barrett, Ireland SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
