IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/diw/diwwpp/dp831.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Next Stop: Restructuring?: A Nonparametric Efficiency Analysis of German Public Transport Companies

Author

Listed:
  • Christian von Hirschhausen
  • Astrid Cullmann

Abstract

In this paper, we present a nonparametric comparative efficiency analysis of 179 communal public transport bus companies in Germany (1990-2004). We apply both deterministic data envelopment analysis (DEA) and bootstrapping to test the robustness of our estimates and to test the hypothesis of global and individual constant returns to scale. We find that the average technical efficiency of German bus companies is relatively low. We observe that the industry appears to be characterized by increasing returns to scale for smaller companies. These results would imply increasing pressure on bus companies to restructure.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian von Hirschhausen & Astrid Cullmann, 2008. "Next Stop: Restructuring?: A Nonparametric Efficiency Analysis of German Public Transport Companies," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 831, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp831
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.89946.de/dp831.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Leopold Simar & Paul Wilson, 2000. "A general methodology for bootstrapping in non-parametric frontier models," Journal of Applied Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(6), pages 779-802.
    2. Léopold Simar & Paul Wilson, 2000. "Statistical Inference in Nonparametric Frontier Models: The State of the Art," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 49-78, January.
    3. Léopold Simar & Paul W. Wilson, 1998. "Sensitivity Analysis of Efficiency Scores: How to Bootstrap in Nonparametric Frontier Models," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(1), pages 49-61, January.
    4. Dominique Deprins & Léopold Simar & Henry Tulkens, 2006. "Measuring Labor-Efficiency in Post Offices," Springer Books, in: Parkash Chander & Jacques Drèze & C. Knox Lovell & Jack Mintz (ed.), Public goods, environmental externalities and fiscal competition, chapter 0, pages 285-309, Springer.
    5. Aragon, Y. & Daouia, A. & Thomas-Agnan, C., 2005. "Nonparametric Frontier Estimation: A Conditional Quantile-Based Approach," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(2), pages 358-389, April.
    6. Wilson, Paul W, 1993. "Detecting Outliers in Deterministic Nonparametric Frontier Models with Multiple Outputs," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 11(3), pages 319-323, July.
    7. Per Andersen & Niels Christian Petersen, 1993. "A Procedure for Ranking Efficient Units in Data Envelopment Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(10), pages 1261-1264, October.
    8. COELLI, Tim, 2000. "On the econometric estimation of the distance function representation of a production technology," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2000042, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    9. Kevin Fox & Robert Hill & W. Diewert, 2004. "Identifying Outliers in Multi-Output Models," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 73-94, July.
    10. Simar, Leopold & Wilson, Paul W., 2002. "Non-parametric tests of returns to scale," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(1), pages 115-132, May.
    11. DE BORGER, Bruno & KERSTENS, Kristiaan & COSTA, Álvaro, "undated". "Public transit performance: What do we learn from frontier studies?," Working Papers 2000019, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    12. Timothy J. Coelli & D.S. Prasada Rao & Christopher J. O’Donnell & George E. Battese, 2005. "An Introduction to Efficiency and Productivity Analysis," Springer Books, Springer, edition 0, number 978-0-387-25895-9, February.
    13. Ferrier, Gary D. & Lovell, C. A. Knox, 1990. "Measuring cost efficiency in banking : Econometric and linear programming evidence," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1-2), pages 229-245.
    14. Massimo Filippini & Paola Prioni, 2003. "The influence of ownership on the cost of bus service provision in Switzerland - an empirical illustration," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(6), pages 683-690.
    15. Léopold Simar, 2003. "Detecting Outliers in Frontier Models: A Simple Approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 391-424, November.
    16. Leonardo J. Basso & Sergio R. Jara-Díaz, 2005. "Calculation of Economies of Spatial Scope from Transport Cost Functions with Aggregate Output with an Application to the Airline Industry," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 39(1), pages 25-52, January.
    17. Bruno De Borger & Kristiaan Kerstens & Álvaro Costa, 2002. "Public transit performance: What does one learn from frontier studies?," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 1-38, January.
    18. Cinzia Daraio & Léopold Simar, 2007. "Conditional nonparametric frontier models for convex and nonconvex technologies: a unifying approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 13-32, October.
    19. Leonardo J. Basso & Sergio R. Jara-Díaz, 2006. "Are Returns to Scale with Variable Network Size Adequate for Transport Industry Structure Analysis?," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(3), pages 259-268, August.
    20. repec:cor:louvrp:-571 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Fried, Harold O. & Lovell, C. A. Knox & Schmidt, Shelton S. (ed.), 1993. "The Measurement of Productive Efficiency: Techniques and Applications," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195072181.
    22. Jonathan Cowie & Darinka Asenova, 1999. "Organisation form, scale effects and efficiency in the British bus industry," Transportation, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 231-248, August.
    23. Mehdi Farsi & Massimo Filippini & Michael Kuenzle, 2006. "Cost Efficiency in Regional Bus Companies: An Application of Alternative Stochastic Frontier Models," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 40(1), pages 95-118, January.
    24. Simar, L. & Wilson, P.W., 2000. "Testing Restrictions in Nonparametric Efficiency Models," Papers 0013, Catholique de Louvain - Institut de statistique.
    25. Jara-Díaz, Sergio R. & Basso, Leonardo J., 2003. "Transport cost functions, network expansion and economies of scope," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 271-288, July.
    26. Jonathan Cowie, 2002. "Acquisition, efficiency and scale economies: An analysis of the British bus industry," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 147-157, January.
    27. Cullinane, Kevin & Wang, Teng-Fei & Song, Dong-Wook & Ji, Ping, 2006. "The technical efficiency of container ports: Comparing data envelopment analysis and stochastic frontier analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 354-374, May.
    28. Cazals, Catherine & Florens, Jean-Pierre & Simar, Leopold, 2002. "Nonparametric frontier estimation: a robust approach," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 106(1), pages 1-25, January.
    29. Martijn Brons & Peter Nijkamp & Eric Pels & Piet Rietveld, 2005. "Efficiency of urban public transit: A meta analysis," Transportation, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 1-21, January.
    30. J Ondrich & J Ruggiero, 2002. "Outlier detection in data envelopment analysis: an analysis of jackknifing," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 53(3), pages 342-346, March.
    31. Graham, Daniel J. & Couto, Antonio & Adeney, William E. & Glaister, Stephen, 2003. "Economies of scale and density in urban rail transport: effects on productivity," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 443-458, November.
    32. Boame, Attah K., 2004. "The technical efficiency of Canadian urban transit systems," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 401-416, September.
    33. Rajiv D. Banker & Richard C. Morey, 1986. "The Use of Categorical Variables in Data Envelopment Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(12), pages 1613-1627, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rico Merkert & Andrew S.J. Smith & Chris A. Nash, 2009. "Benchmarking of train operating firms -- a transaction cost efficiency analysis," Transportation Planning and Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 35-53, October.
    2. Matthias Walter & Astrid Cullmann, 2008. "Potential Gains from Mergers in Local Public Transport: An Efficiency Analysis Applied to Germany," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 832, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Karl-Hans Hartwig & Raimund Scheffler, 2009. "Größenvorteile im deutschen ÖSPV – Eine empirische Analyse," Working Papers 13, Institute of Transport Economics, University of Muenster.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Amir Moradi-Motlagh & Ali Emrouznejad, 2022. "The origins and development of statistical approaches in non-parametric frontier models: a survey of the first two decades of scholarly literature (1998–2020)," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 318(1), pages 713-741, November.
    2. de Borger, Bruno & Kerstens, Kristiaan & Staat, Matthias, 2008. "Transit costs and cost efficiency: Bootstrapping non-parametric frontiers," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 53-64, January.
    3. Léopold Simar & Paul W. Wilson, 2015. "Statistical Approaches for Non-parametric Frontier Models: A Guided Tour," International Statistical Review, International Statistical Institute, vol. 83(1), pages 77-110, April.
    4. Wheelock, David C. & Wilson, Paul W., 2008. "Non-parametric, unconditional quantile estimation for efficiency analysis with an application to Federal Reserve check processing operations," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 145(1-2), pages 209-225, July.
    5. Bampatsou, Christina & Halkos, George, 2018. "Dynamics of productivity taking into consideration the impact of energy consumption and environmental degradation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 276-283.
    6. Bernardino Benito & José Solana & María-Rocío Moreno, 2014. "Explaining efficiency in municipal services providers," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 225-239, December.
    7. Amparo Soler Domínguez & Juan Carlos Matallín Sáez & Emili Tortosa Ausina, 2011. "On the informativeness of persistence for mutual funds' performance evaluation using partial frontiers," Working Papers. Serie EC 2011-08, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie).
    8. Kristof Witte & Rui Marques, 2010. "Influential observations in frontier models, a robust non-oriented approach to the water sector," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 377-392, December.
    9. Halkos, George & Tzeremes, Nickolaos, 2009. "Exploring the effect of countries’ economic prosperity on their biodiversity performance," MPRA Paper 32102, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Alda A. Henriques & Milton Fontes & Ana S. Camanho & Giovanna D’Inverno & Pedro Amorim & Jaime Gabriel Silva, 2022. "Performance evaluation of problematic samples: a robust nonparametric approach for wastewater treatment plants," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 315(1), pages 193-220, August.
    11. George Halkos & Nickolaos Tzeremes, 2010. "The effect of foreign ownership on SMEs performance: An efficiency analysis perspective," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 167-180, October.
    12. Ben Abdelkader, Ines & Hathroubi, Salem & Ben Jemaa, Mohamed Mekki, 2012. "Microfinance Institutions’ Efficiency in the MENA region: a Bootstrap-DEA approach," EconStor Preprints 69525, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    13. Luis R. Murillo‐Zamorano, 2004. "Economic Efficiency and Frontier Techniques," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(1), pages 33-77, February.
    14. Halkos, George & Tzeremes, Nickolaos, 2010. "Measuring the effect of virtual mergers on banks’ efficiency levels:A non parametric analysis," MPRA Paper 23696, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Matthias Walter & Astrid Cullmann, 2008. "Potential Gains from Mergers in Local Public Transport: An Efficiency Analysis Applied to Germany," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 832, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    16. Thiago Victorino & Carlos Rosano Peña, 2023. "The Development of Efficiency Analysis in Transportation Systems: A Bibliometric and Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-32, June.
    17. Halkos, George & Bampatsou, Christina, 2017. "Technical efficiency, productivity change and environmental degradation," MPRA Paper 77176, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Lampe, Hannes W. & Hilgers, Dennis, 2015. "Trajectories of efficiency measurement: A bibliometric analysis of DEA and SFA," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 240(1), pages 1-21.
    19. Franz R. Hahn, 2007. "Determinants of Bank Efficiency in Europe. Assessing Bank Performance Across Markets," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 31499, April.
    20. Nolwenn Roudaut & Anne Vanhems, 2012. "Explaining firms efficiency in the Ivorian manufacturing sector: a robust nonparametric approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 155-169, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public transport; buses; efficiency analysis; nonparametric methods; DEA; bootstrapping;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L92 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Railroads and Other Surface Transportation
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp831. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Bibliothek (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/diwbede.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.