The Public Balance of Transport in Hungary 2004-2010

Abstract

The public balance of transport has been studied in our institute since 2004 and we have complete time series for the years 2004-2010. Only pure transport items are included on both sides of the balance – on the one hand transport taxes, fees and other revenues, on the other hand transport expenditures (e.g. road and rail construction, maintenance, operation; public transport subsidies, PPP fees). Although, we also calculate the contributions of transport sector (e.g. personal income tax, corporate tax, etc.) to the general public expenditures, these items are not included in the balance.This public balance of transport, in order to become even more realistic, should be put into adequate circumstances, where among others, the following issues are discussed:•changes of public property of transport;•fluctuating amounts of transport investments and their correlation to the investment needs;•external effects are covered only partly;•public balance versus social balance;•the efficiency of public expenditures; and the transport costs of the society.The public balance of transport and all of its items are divided by transport subsectors (road, rail, inland waterway, air), where road and rail figures are good enough to draw conclusions, while the role of inland waterway and air transport in public balance are marginal. Between 2004 and 2010 road transport revenues were significantly higher than expenditures (except 2006), in spite of intensive motorway construction activity. On the other hand, public balances of rail transport have been always significantly negative, especially in the period 2006-2010. However, the performance figures of rail transport have not justified the huge amount of rail subsidies.