Why Some Countries Drive on the Right and Some on the Left
11 Dec 2016 1 Comment
in economic history, transport economics Tags: traffic rules
Sorry, Elon Musk! Driverless Cars Will Take Longer Than You Think
06 Dec 2016 Leave a comment
in economics, transport economics Tags: self drive cars
#nzeq Post-disaster labour market adjustment: Alaska in the pipeline era & Darwin after Cyclone Tracy
17 Nov 2016 Leave a comment
in economics of natural disasters, labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand, transport economics, urban economics Tags: Alaska, Cyclone Tracy
Experiences from abroad suggest that labour markets have a history of rapid adaptation to regional surges in construction demand and that workers are prepared to tolerate lower quality housing provided there are compensating wage premiums.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline was the largest privately funded construction project to that time. Alaskan wages during the building period between 1974 and 1977 were very flexible in the construction and related industries.
Labour supply was responsive in terms of more hours worked per worker and more local workers entering the workforce with many others moved temporarily to Alaska even though the Alaskan climate and culture would not appeal to everyone.
The Alaskan labour force increased by 50%, from about 50,000 to about 90,000 workers, hours worked per week increased by about the same, and many people worked 2 jobs.
High school hours were moved to the morning so that students and their teachers could take an afternoon job in pipeline construction. There is hot beading of accommodation and a 1000% labour turnover rate at the local McDonald’s. By 1979, the Alaskan labour force returned pretty much to its preconstruction era size.
Moving to a region still prone to after-shocks also would not appeal to everyone. Many energy industry construction projects in modern times were completed in unappealing locations and extreme climates on land and sea.
As another and much nearer example, Cyclone Tracy destroyed about 60 per cent of the 8,000 houses in Darwin on 24 December 1974 and more than 30 per cent were severely damaged. Most of Darwin’s population of 48,000 people became homeless; 71 lives were lost.
After a mass evacuation of 35,000, Darwin’s population was 10,000 by 1 January 1975. Darwin’s population recovered to 30,000 by May 1975. This influx was dominated by newcomers, especially construction workers. Temporary housing, caravans, hotels and an ocean liner were all pushed into service.
When the Darwin Reconstruction Commission was wound up two years ahead of the initial reconstruction timeline on 12 April 1978, 3,000 new dwellings had been completed. By mid-1978, the city could again house its pre-Tracy population numbers. Darwin is now home for about 125,000 people.
How to get back to the eastern suburbs from the CBD after an earthquake #eqnz
16 Nov 2016 Leave a comment
in economics of natural disasters, politics - New Zealand, transport economics, urban economics Tags: earthquakes
Take the bus. But not a trolley bus. We were going to walk home (7.8 km) but once we got to the edge of Mount Victoria, bus drivers were picking people up.
Buses could not get into the centre of town because of gridlock, so drivers showed the initiative to go to the perimeter of the CBD and going back out and in on their normal routes. They picked up many people. Do not start me on how useless trolley buses are after a natural disaster
Watch a Tesla drive you to work
31 Oct 2016 Leave a comment
in transport economics Tags: self drive cars
Behind on my chemtrails blogging
20 Oct 2016 Leave a comment
in transport economics Tags: conspiracy theories, cranks, Quacks
Apparently, I am a paid hack for the motor industry as well
19 Oct 2016 Leave a comment
in Public Choice, transport economics
Autonomous Cars Will Discriminate Against Human Drivers
17 Sep 2016 Leave a comment
in transport economics Tags: self-driving cars
Electric cars are still terrible value for money @phil_goff
07 Sep 2016 Leave a comment
in environmental economics, transport economics
But for the celebrity technology status of electric cars, only two maybe three of these models would be on the road.
Source: Here’s how Tesla’s electric cars stack up against the competition | Business Insider.
Seatbelt usage must have gone up big time in Japan since I live there
03 Sep 2016 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, transport economics
You cannot even find that seatbelt in taxis because they have been pushed under the seat so that the locals did not have to sit on them. Not much point wearing a seatbelt if the passenger in the rear comes flying past you in the accident.
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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