Transport Economists’ Group
Formed in 1973, the Group provides a forum for people involved in transport economics to meet regularly and discuss matters of mutual interest. Membership is open to both economists working in transport and all others whose work is connected with transport economics. The aim of the Group is to improve the quality of transport management, planning and decision making by promoting lectures, discussions and publications related to the economics of transport and of the environment within which the industry functions.
Meeting Wednesday 22 October 2025 at 18:00 to 19:30 BST
Peter White (Emeritus Professor of Public Transport Systems), of University of Westminster will speak on Economic and financial impacts of COVID-19 on public transport systems.
Although public transport ridership was slower to recover than car use from impacts of the pandemic, a very substantial recovery can now be seen in Britain (almost 100% in the case of surface rail). This talk will examine several questions:.
1. How has composition of the market changed? Has a shift to working from home spread or reduced the commuting peak?
2. When radical reductions in service volume are made for a short period, what are the effects on unit costs and productivity?
3. Very large increases in financial support were observed. To what degree have these been reduced?
4. Were some of the impacts wholly attributable to the pandemic, or did they accelerate changes already in progress?
The talk will summarise and update a paper published on-line in ‘Transportation’ earlier this year, and also draw on wider international comparisons as co-author of a paper in ‘Transportation Research Part A’.
The presenter has been based at University of Westminster (formerly PCL) since 1971, and is a past chair of the TEG.
Please register to attend by clicking on the link below to send us an email before 18:00 BST on Tuesday 21 October 2025. It will help if you can also include your name and position and whether you are a TEG member.
I wish to attend the October TEG meeting at 18:00 BST
(Alternatively, email with Subject “I wish to attend the October TEG meeting at 18:00 BST” to Attendance@transecongroup.org)
For meetings available online, we will send you a meeting link approximately 24 hours in advance. Please contact us again if on the morning of the meeting you have still not received a link. The online meeting room will normally be open after 17:45 for 18:00.
We aim to begin the speaker’s presentation promptly at 18:00.
All with an interest in the subject are welcome to attend our regular TEG meetings, whether a member or not.