Abstract
It can be argued that the main thinking in transport planning and policy making stem from neoclassical economics in which individuals are largely assumed to make rational, consistent, and efficient choices, and apply cognitive processes of decision making that maximise their economic utility. Research in behavioural sciences indicates that individuals’ choices in a wide range of contexts deviate from the predictions of the rational man paradigm inspired the research agenda in the field of travel behaviour. New concepts and practices of government aim to apply some behavioural economics insights in the design of behavioural change initiatives and measures, an approach recently advocated in the US and the UK. This paper provides a brief review on the use and potential of behavioural economics from the perspective of transport and climate change, in two main contexts: travel demand modelling and design of behaviour change measures. The discussion of limitations and knowledge gaps associated with the implementation of behavioural economics to a travel behaviour context might contribute to the debate and help in defining research agenda in this area.
Highlights
Travel behaviour has been an area of great interest to practitioners and researchers ever since the introduction of transport modelling in the 1950s
In the absence of a systematic analysis of ‘irrational’ components of travel behaviour, in light of the limited body of evidence and the lack of large‐scale empirical studies to explore bounded rationality in the specific contexts of travel behaviour, they might be a general tendency among transport researchers, planners and policy makers to adopt the key principles of behavioural economics and to incorporate some of it techniques in the design of implementation of behaviour change measures
This paper has sought to offer an insight into some of the challenges and opportunities associated with theory and evidence emerge from behavioural economics, its roots in other behavioural sciences, and its wider applications to a range of policy contexts
Summary
Travel behaviour has been an area of great interest to practitioners and researchers ever since the introduction of transport modelling in the 1950s. This paper provides a critical review of the theoretical and practical application of concepts and theories associated with the emerging field of behavioural economics in the context of travel behaviour and the major challenges associated with it ‐ climate change being one of them. It addresses the potential contribution of behavioural economics to two different linked applied fields of transport research: the modelling of travel choices and the design of behaviour change initiatives. Incorporating behavioural notions in the analysis and development of travel behaviour
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
