Free Travel Research Articles

A Social Network Analysis of Tourist Movement Patterns in Blogs: Korean Backpackers in Europe

Given recent developments in information and communication technology, the number of individual tourists enjoying free travel without the advice of travel agencies is increasing. Therefore, such tourists can visit more tourist destinations and create more complex movement patterns than mass tourists. These tourist movement patterns are a key factor in understanding tourist behavior and they contain various information that is important for tourism marketers. In this vein, this study aims to investigate tourist movement patterns in Europe. We acquired 122 data points from posts on the NAVER blog, which is the most famous social media platform in Korea. These data were transformed into matrix data for social network analysis and analyzed for centrality. The results suggest that Korean backpackers in Europe tend to enter Europe through London and Paris. Venezia and Firenze are also key cities.

THE STRUCTURE OF DEMAND AND ITS ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR URBAN TRANSPORT

The structure of demand for urban transport services, determined by the share of passengers entitled to free travel and reduced fares, is an important factor influencing its economic condition. The aim of this article is to present the results of research into the structure of demand for urban transport as well as its economic consequences. The article begins by considering the nature of the determinants and consequences of the public utility of urban transport, before going on to discuss the methodology of research of the demand structure for these transport services. This provides the background for analysis of the results of demand srtucture in chosen cities and allows the economic consequences to be determined. The annual deficit of urban transport was compared with a hypothetical full reimbursement of revenue lost due to free travel and reduced fares.

Optimized traffic emergency resource scheduling using time varying rescue route travel time

Abstract Traffic emergency resource scheduling not only needs to satisfy the type and quantity of resources required for traffic incidents, but also to consider the change of traffic state before making the rescue decision. For this purpose, a traffic emergency resource scheduling method based on rescue route travel time estimation was proposed. Considering the vehicle queuing phenomenon in the rescue route caused by traffic incidents, the rescue route travel time was defined as the sum of free flow travel time and queuing delay time. The queuing section was shifted to the downstream of the section and making the free flow section and queue section regarded as two continuous sections. Then according to the relative relationship between the total length of rescue route and the queuing delay time of rescue vehicles, the rescue route travel time was estimated and the improved resource scheduling model was established. As shown by the emergency resource scheduling application in the expressway network of Henan province, the simulation results of rescue route travel time estimation and the scheduling model revealed that the queuing delay time directly affects the computation of the rescue travel time. In addition, using branch and bound algorithm to obtain the optimized emergency resource scheduling scheme, the proposed scheduling model could enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of emergency resource allocation and improve the road traffic safety.

Emission optimised control and speed limit for isolated intersections

Stopping and accelerating at traffic lights is one of the main contributing factors to vehicular emissions in urban environments. The work in this study demonstrates a generic guideline for minimising CO 2 emissions at traffic lights. This was done using an adaptive control, which uses a cost function for optimisation, rather than network-specific control parameters. A new version of the emission model PHEMlight was used, which added of a fuel cut-off mode during coasting and other improvements compared with the previous version. Using this model, it could be determined that the emission optimal ratio between delay time and stops for the cost function of an adaptive control should be 1:165 at 50 km/h. When the speed limit increases the ratio also increases with 1:296 for 70 km/h. However, it was also found that the optimal free flow travel speed was around 70 km/h. Therefore, with long distances between intersections and a low amount of average stops, the maximum speed should be higher than 50 km/h for emission optimality. Application of the ratio for 50 km/h to the adaptive control algorithm ImFlow resulted in a CO 2 emission reduction of 6.3% compared with a vehicle actuated control.

Design of the Vision Positioning Grab Mobile Robot System

A kind of vision positioning grab mobile robot control system based on Arduino is designed in order to realize the identification and grasp of the specific object. The system uses visual capture technology and image processing technology to locate the particular object, and transmit the position information which is already analyzed through SPI communication to the mobile platform based on STM32 and control mobile platform to realize automatically locating and tracking. When reaching the set position, control the robotic arm complete the grasp task. Experimental result shows that the physical prototype which built according to the vision positioning grab mobile robot system can automatically complete visual location and identification, mobile platform tracking and collision free travel and the grasp of the particular object.

Giving up cars – The impact of a mobility experiment on carbon emissions and everyday routines

Despite recent political and scientific interest in experiments, there is little research on participants’ experiences of experimentation. This article focuses on an experiment during which eleven participants gave up ownership of their cars, and in return, received free travel cards to local buses for six months. The experiment is analysed from two perspectives. Firstly, the impact of the experiment on carbon emissions of the participants’ everyday mobility is estimated based on weekly mobility surveillances and travel card data. Secondly, the practice theoretical approach is used to study the change in participants’ mobility routines. The results indicate that the processes of de- and re-routinisation depend on multiple structural and individual factors reinforcing each other. Although carbon emissions of everyday mobility were reduced because of the experiment, there was variation in how the new routines were (or were not) acquired among the participants. The article suggests that, when analysed from the practice perspective, experiments might work as tools for mutual learning on how to make local public transportation more attractive among residents. Attention should also be paid to reducing the need for driving in the first place, as well as to providing more support and services for car-free living.

Tourists' Mobile Information Seeking Behavior

The Internet is considered to be one of the most effective search channels for people to get a variety of information. This is especially true, for young tourists within the 18-30 year range, who prefer free independent travel tours. Many tend to have strong information needs about their travel destinations and the use of mobile technology for information search is rapidly becoming a popular trend, especially with this demographic. This study aims to investigate the associations between the mobile device usage preference and information search behavior of young travelers, between the ages of 18 and 30, in the People's Republic of China (PRC). For this purpose, a sample of 133 respondents is used. Results of the survey are provided and followed by a discussion of the overall context. Study limitations and directions for future development are suggested.

The discussion of system optimism and user equilibrium in traffic assignment with the perspective of game theory

Abstract In purpose of going deep into the quantitative relation between system optimism and user equilibrium, which are two classical methods of traffic assignment, the perspective of game theory is adopted. Through non-corporative game analysis to the example, it is showed that system optimism and user equilibrium can be integrated to pure strategy Nash equilibrium under infinite strategy sets. Exiting as two particular situations of Nash equilibrium, they can be converted to each other with change of the number of game players. Furthermore, the conversion process between system optimism and user equilibrium is analyzed, which is characterized by two different stages. As the number of players grows, the result of Nash equilibrium leaves away from system optimism for user equilibrium quite quickly, suggesting the inefficiency of management measures trying to achieve system optimism. The impact that parameters in impedance functions exert on process is also researched, and it is argued that the free flow travel time, which reflects the primary advantages of the route, has great influence on conversion speed and tendency.

Predicting traffic congestion using driver behavior

Traffic congestion is one of the largest traffic problems and one solution is a prediction of its generation. Traffic congestion comes from three phases order: the free travel phase, the meta-stability phase, and the traffic congestion phase. Therefore, it can be considered that if the meta-stability phase can be detected, forecasting traffic congestion becomes possible. This paper proposes a driver model that forecasts traffic congestion based on changes in driving behavior and that does not rely on traffic flow monitoring infrastructure. As a result of evaluation in driving simulators, it was understood that the distribution of steering, throttle and speed input frequency changes based on changes in the travel phase. It is possible to distinguish these changes using support vector machines as shown in Figure 1, and it is possible to make this into a driver model that predicts traffic congestion. This method is the first propose that uses only CAN (Controller Area Network) data and needs no additional sensors to detect driving environments or any infrastructures.

Analysis of Hertz's Experimentum Crucis on Electromagnetic Waves [Historical Corner

In this article, we examine one of Heinrich Hertz's (1857-1894) experiments: a measurement for the interference of electromagnetic waves in air (the experimentum crucis). This experiment showed, for the first time, that electromagnetic waves exist in free space and travel with finite velocity, as predicted by Maxwell's equations. To carry out the experiment, Hertz invented the first transmitter and receiver of radio waves. We use results from theoretical analysis to explain the physics behind his apparatus-how it worked. Our comparison of the theoretical results with his measurements shows the accomplishments as well as the limitations of the latter. We also describe the role of his contemporaries in providing explanations for his results and repeating and improving his measurements.

Evaluating Off-Peak Pricing Strategies in Public Transportation with an Activity-Based Approach

Public transportation authorities across the world are implementing various peak and off-peak pricing strategies to manage travel demand and improve the overall system performance. In this study, an activity-based demand framework was used to evaluate two off-peak pricing strategies currently in use in Singapore. These strategies consisted of a free prepeak travel on mass rapid transit (MRT) and an off-peak discount for an integrated transit (public buses and MRT). Smart card data collected before and after the implementation of the first policy were used to calibrate the behavioral models involved, to capture travelers’ preferences and choices properly. To evaluate both pricing strategies, a comprehensive set of key performance indicators was considered and included the changes in peak ridership, average trip fare, operator’s revenue, the number of public transportation trips, and mode share. The results indicate that off-peak discount pricing strategies are a viable policy option for spreading demand peaks and that they are more effective during the afternoon peak period. This study also demonstrates the capabilities and the advantages of an agent-based modeling platform, SimMobility, as a tool for policy analysis.

Free Bus Travel and Physical Activity, Gait Speed, and Adiposity in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

We investigated associations between having a bus pass, enabling free local bus travel across the United Kingdom for state pension-aged people, and physical activity, gait speed, and adiposity. We used data on 4650 bus pass-eligible people (aged ≥ 62 years) at wave 6 (2012-2013) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing in regression analyses. Bus pass holders were more likely to be female (odds ratio [OR] = 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.38, 2.02; P < .001), retired (OR = 2.65; 95% CI = 2.10, 3.35; P < .001), without access to a car (OR = 2.78; 95% CI = 1.83, 4.21; P < .001), to use public transportation (OR = 10.26; 95% CI = 8.33, 12.64; P < .001), and to be physically active (OR = 1.43; 95% CI = 1.12, 1.84; P = .004). Female pass holders had faster gait speed (b = 0.06 meters per second; 95% CI = 0.02, 0.09; P = .001), a body mass index 1 kilogram per meter squared lower (b = -1.20; 95% CI = -1.93, -0.46; P = .001), and waist circumference 3 centimeters smaller (b = -3.32; 95% CI = -5.02, -1.62; P < .001) than women without a pass. Free bus travel for older people helps make transportation universally accessible, including for those at risk for social isolation. Those with a bus pass are more physically active. Among women in particular, the bus pass is associated with healthier aging.

Integrating quasi-experimental and inductive designs in evaluation: A case study of the impact of free bus travel on public health

Evaluations of ‘natural experiments’ in public policy are typically considered ‘weak’ evidence. Challenges include: making credible claims for causal inference (internal validity); generalizing beyond the case (external validity); and providing useful evidence for decision makers. In public health, where experimental evidence is encouraged by funders and enjoys a degree of rhetorical favour, in theory if not practice, current guidance for evaluating natural experiments focuses largely on methods for strengthening internal validity. Using a case study of the evaluation of free bus travel for young people in London, UK, we demonstrate a pragmatic approach to strengthening both internal and external validity in evaluations through integrating the logic of quasi-experimental methods with inductive qualitative analysis. Combining theoretical and inductive analysis in this way to address questions of policy interest through evaluations of natural experiments may be fruitful, and have methodological advantages over randomized designs.

Vulnerability of road network based on generalised travel time

In this paper the vulnerability of a transportation network is defined from the perspective of the sensitivity of the transportation system against external disturbances. The generalised travel time is defined as the weighting of both the ratio of actual travel time to free travel time and the unreliability of the travel time. The reciprocal of generalised travel time taken as the utility function, the impact of external disturbances on the transportation system can be quantified. Meanwhile, the vulnerability model is established using the change rate of the utility index. The stochastic user equilibrium traffic assignment model is formulated on the assumption of minimisation of travel cost. Finally, the real road network of the city of Harbin in China is taken as an example to illustrate the applicability and efficiency of the proposed model. This approach can be used as a decision-supporting tool for identifying critical infrastructures in transportation management and planning.

Understanding welfare conditionality in the context of a generational habitus: A qualitative study of older citizens in England

In many welfare states, ‘austerity’ policies have ignited debates about the fairness and cost-effectiveness of universal welfare benefits, with benefits received by older citizens a particular topic of concern. Empirical studies suggest that conditionality generates problems of access and uptake but, to date, there has been little research on how different conditions of entitlement are understood by older citizens. This study drew on interviews with 29 older citizens from three areas of England to explore how eligibility for and uptake of different kinds of welfare benefits were understood. In interviews, current entitlement was understood in relation to a generational habitus, in which ‘our generation’ was framed as sharing cohort experiences, and moral orientations to self-reliance, hard work and struggle. Entitlement to some welfare benefits was taken for granted as a reward owed by the state to its citizens for hard-earned lives. State transfers such as pensions, free travel and fuel subsidies were congruent with a nationalised generational habitus, and fostered recognition, self-worth and the sense of a generation as a collective. In contrast, transfers contingent on economic or need-based conditionality were more explicitly framed as ‘benefits’, and negatively associated with vulnerability and moral contestation. Uptake was therefore often incompatible with their generational habitus. Calls for introducing further conditionality to benefits for older adults are often based on claims that this will increase fairness and equality. Our analysis suggests, however, that introducing conditionality has the potential to promote inequality and foster differentiation and division, within the older population and between generations.

A102 NIHR funded research on transport and health

Abstract Background The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), through the NIHR Public Health Research Programme, funds research intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health. The research serves a variety of key stakeholders including: decision-makers in local government, other local public services and the public. The scope of research funded is multi-disciplinary and broad, covering a wide range of interventions that improve health, including those related to transport. The NIHR has issues several calls for research in this area, this presentation will describe some of the research projects funded, their aims and results. Methods The scope of research projects funded includes investigations of how active and safe travel affects health, and interventions which could be prioritised by local authorities. Examples include: the health effects of a new urban motorway; public transport schemes such as new a busway in Cambridge, and evaluating the impact of introducing free bus travel for young people in London; walking and cycling including cycling infrastructure for reducing cycling injuries in cyclists; active travel and the environment. The methods employed by these studies include: evaluations of natural experiments, randomised controlled trials, and systematic reviews of evidence. Some of the studies have reported others are still in progress. Results Examples of results from some of the studies include: the free bus travel scheme for young people appears to have encouraged their greater use of bus transport for short trips without significant impact on their overall active travel. The scheme also had positive effects on social inclusion. Qualitative data regarding a new guided busway in Cambridge highlighted the varied ways in which people learn to use new public transport and integrate it into their everyday lives. This has implications for the introduction and uptake of other new public transport systems and the effects on physical activity and public health. Conclusions The research studies funded by the NIHR related to transport and health are varied and wide in scope; they have implications for population health both now and in the future.

⁎A98 The indirect health and mental wellbeing benefits of the Concessionary Travel Scheme in Scotland

The National Concessionary Travel scheme in Scotland has been in place since 2006, with the aims of enhancing social inclusion and promoting active lifestyles among elderly and disabled people. Prior to 2014 there had been no examination of the wider benefits of concessionary travel in a nationally representative Scottish sample. Last year, Transport Scotland undertook secondary analysis of the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) as well as the Concessionary Travel Customer Feedback Survey (CTCFS) to establish the impact of the Concessionary Travel Pass (CTP) on users’ health and wellbeing. Logistic regression was used to model the SHS data while relevant CTCFS data were crosstabulated. Although no direct links between self-perceived health, mental wellbeing and use of concessionary travel cards could be identified in the regression analysis of SHS data, the analysis confirmed indirect benefits relating to active travel and a reduction in social isolation that have been demonstrated to lead to positive health outcomes in research literature. It also found that concessionary card holders aged 60 and above were 66% more likely as those without the CTP card to have walked on any day in the previous week. CTP users aged 60 and above were 75% more likely to have visited the Scottish outdoors in the previous 12 months. The analysis showed that use of concessionary travel increased the likelihood of elderly people engaging in volunteering, with those in possession of a CTP being 35% more likely to have volunteered in the last 12 months compared to their peers without the card. Descriptive analysis indicates that over 50% of respondents who used the bus daily agreed with a range of statements confirming that having the CTP pass helped maintain or improve physical health and mental wellbeing. The findings of this analysis support the position that concessionary travel plays a positive role in the physical health and mental wellbeing of older and disabled people in Scotland. The social elements of concessionary travel and the encouragement to get out of the house with free travel available were the reasons relating to frequent travel which cardholders saw as important for their physical health and sense of wellbeing. This paper will provide background on the cardholder scheme, further details of the analysis carried out, and highlight other findings from our recent work on concessionary card holders.

A New Dawn for the Crescent Moon: Is the Fear of an Influx of Turkish Nationals Driving European Law?

This paper argues that legally speaking, Turkish service recipients must be granted visa-free access to the EU. The freedom to provide services is covered by Article 41(1) Additional Protocol, and rights in this field should be extended as far as possible to Turkish nationals, as outlined in Abatay and others. Article 41(1) AP’s aim is to ensure no new visa restrictions can be placed on Turkish nationals. Given that the freedom to receive services is, as stated in Luisi and Carbone, a necessary corollary of the freedom to provide services, it is logical that this must be extended to service recipients. Furthermore, this paper argues that the extensive body of case law and Treaty law between the EU and Turkey demonstrate a relationship that is far greater than a simply economic one, as suggested by the CJEU in Ziebell, conferring greater rights on Turkish nationals. The CJEU, as outlined in Article 19(3) of the TEU, has a purely legal role within the EU legal order. It should only rule according to the letter of the law, as opposed to bringing invalid considerations into the judgment. In this regard, the Court must rule that Turkish service recipients are entitled to visa free travel. The CJEU has, however, borne political reasoning in mind in the past, especially with regard to association agreements. Demirkan potentially has huge ramifications, with the ‘erosion of sovereignty’ that comes with opening of borders to third countries. This would open the door to 75 million Turkish nationals to move freely in the EU, and given the recent violent protests in Turkey and the strength of anti-Turkish sentiments in the press. This whole issue highlights how the CJEU is often thrust into inherently political matters when its sole mandate is to rule on the law of the European Union.

An Approach to Boundary Finding of Intersection Group for Traffic Analysis due to Intersection Improvements

Increased traffic congestion makes intersection improvements are necessary to improve the capacity and traffic running conditions. Because of the influence of a certain intersection improvements is not limit to itself, but covers the intersections around it. The approach to find the boundary of signal group for traffic analysis due to a certain intersection improvements is discussed in this paper. Firstly, two kinds of correlation degree are modeled, which are the basis of intersection grouping. Saturation degree and free flow travel time are considered in the model of correlation degree between two adjacent intersections considers, while correlation degree between any two intersections in the network is analyzed using Laplacian matrix algorithm. Secondly, the approach to find intersection group boundary is proposed. Thirdly, two measures are adopted in quantifying the results of intersection grouping: minimum average cut correlation degree and minimum traffic influence on the intersections outside of boundary. At last, the developed method is used on a city road network. The results of case study confirm the validity of the proposed approach.

The Economic Value of Bus Subsidy

Bus networks carry 4.7 billion passenger trips a year in England, around three times the total number of trips made on national rail. But although buses are the backbone of public transport in large urban areas, they are often ignored in national policy debates, which tend to focus on higher profile infrastructure investment. In this paper we draw attention to the economic value of public funding for bus networks by applying a comprehensive cost benefit analysis framework to estimate the effect of three revenue-based bus policy measures in the context of the six English metropolitan areas: free travel for elderly and disabled people, fuel subsidy and subsidy of non-commercial bus services.We find that all three types of measure can have a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) in excess of 1. In the case of fuel subsidy and subsidy for non-commercial peak services this can be in excess of 3, which is higher than for many infrastructure schemes. We also find that a significant proportion of benefits accrues to other road users in the form of reduced congestion. This work addresses an important gap in the empirical evidence base and also serves to highlight to decision makers the mechanisms through which revenue funding generates social and economic benefits. We show, in particular, that bus subsidies can be a highly effective distributional tool in addition to generating considerable transport benefits. Our framework should be easily transferable and could therefore be of value to other researchers and practitioners.