Changes in Fuel Prices and the Use of Public Transport: Insights from the European Union following the Invasion of Ukraine
Rising fuel prices are known to affect public transport (PT) demand. However, the impact of the oil market inflation and subsequent energy crisis following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine on mobility behaviour in Europe has received little attention. This study examines shifts in fuel prices a...
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| Language: | English |
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European Association of Geographers
2024-10-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Geography |
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| Online Access: | https://www.eurogeojournal.eu/index.php/egj/article/view/651 |
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| author | André Alves Nuno Marques da Costa |
| author_facet | André Alves Nuno Marques da Costa |
| author_sort | André Alves |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Rising fuel prices are known to affect public transport (PT) demand. However, the impact of the oil market inflation and subsequent energy crisis following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine on mobility behaviour in Europe has received little attention. This study examines shifts in fuel prices and PT mobility across 25 European Union countries between February and May 2022. Weekly variations in PT mobility were correlated with diesel and gasoline prices, and a multiple linear regression was conducted to assess the influence of contextual factors in explaining variations in PT usage. The results indicate a significant increase in PT mobility across all countries after February 2022, which was positively associated with rising fuel prices. Approximately 84% of the variance in mobility was explained, with more pronounced increases observed in countries characterised by lower telecommuting prevalence, higher housing costs relative to household income, greater price differentials between gasoline and diesel, lower adoption of alternative fuels, and higher motorisation rates. These findings suggest that the surge in fuel prices, driven by the 2022 energy crisis, may have stimulated an increase in transit ridership.
Highlights:
• The rise in PT usage in the EU correlated with higher fuel prices post-Ukraine invasion.
• Temporal and spatial patterns varied across countries, indicating contextual influences.
• Five key indicators explained disparities in PT mobility changes among EU countries.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-54f2f8335cf740a1887bc379a7da61b6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1792-1341 2410-7433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | European Association of Geographers |
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| series | European Journal of Geography |
| spelling | doaj-art-54f2f8335cf740a1887bc379a7da61b62025-01-01T06:56:54ZengEuropean Association of GeographersEuropean Journal of Geography1792-13412410-74332024-10-0115410.48088/ejg.a.alv.15.4.232.243662Changes in Fuel Prices and the Use of Public Transport: Insights from the European Union following the Invasion of UkraineAndré Alves0Nuno Marques da Costa1Centre of Geographical Studies and Associate Laboratory TERRA, Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon, 1600-276 Lisbon, PortugalCentre of Geographical Studies and Associate Laboratory TERRA, Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon, 1600-276 Lisbon, Portugal Rising fuel prices are known to affect public transport (PT) demand. However, the impact of the oil market inflation and subsequent energy crisis following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine on mobility behaviour in Europe has received little attention. This study examines shifts in fuel prices and PT mobility across 25 European Union countries between February and May 2022. Weekly variations in PT mobility were correlated with diesel and gasoline prices, and a multiple linear regression was conducted to assess the influence of contextual factors in explaining variations in PT usage. The results indicate a significant increase in PT mobility across all countries after February 2022, which was positively associated with rising fuel prices. Approximately 84% of the variance in mobility was explained, with more pronounced increases observed in countries characterised by lower telecommuting prevalence, higher housing costs relative to household income, greater price differentials between gasoline and diesel, lower adoption of alternative fuels, and higher motorisation rates. These findings suggest that the surge in fuel prices, driven by the 2022 energy crisis, may have stimulated an increase in transit ridership. Highlights: • The rise in PT usage in the EU correlated with higher fuel prices post-Ukraine invasion. • Temporal and spatial patterns varied across countries, indicating contextual influences. • Five key indicators explained disparities in PT mobility changes among EU countries. https://www.eurogeojournal.eu/index.php/egj/article/view/651public transportmobility patternsfuel pricetransport geographyRussian-Ukrainian warGoogle community mobility reports |
| spellingShingle | André Alves Nuno Marques da Costa Changes in Fuel Prices and the Use of Public Transport: Insights from the European Union following the Invasion of Ukraine European Journal of Geography public transport mobility patterns fuel price transport geography Russian-Ukrainian war Google community mobility reports |
| title | Changes in Fuel Prices and the Use of Public Transport: Insights from the European Union following the Invasion of Ukraine |
| title_full | Changes in Fuel Prices and the Use of Public Transport: Insights from the European Union following the Invasion of Ukraine |
| title_fullStr | Changes in Fuel Prices and the Use of Public Transport: Insights from the European Union following the Invasion of Ukraine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in Fuel Prices and the Use of Public Transport: Insights from the European Union following the Invasion of Ukraine |
| title_short | Changes in Fuel Prices and the Use of Public Transport: Insights from the European Union following the Invasion of Ukraine |
| title_sort | changes in fuel prices and the use of public transport insights from the european union following the invasion of ukraine |
| topic | public transport mobility patterns fuel price transport geography Russian-Ukrainian war Google community mobility reports |
| url | https://www.eurogeojournal.eu/index.php/egj/article/view/651 |
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