The award is presented for the best conference paper by an early-career researcher or practitioner. Carl Alm received the award for the paper Cost-drivers of Bus Transport 鈥� Monetization of Deviations from a Proposed Standard, co-authored with Helene Lidestam and Carolina Cam茅n.
"As a doctoral student and early-career researcher, both the conference and receiving the award were very rewarding experiences. I am particularly grateful that the award has opened up new and interesting conversations and helped me make valuable contacts in both academia and the public transport sector, which could be important for my future research," says Carl Alm.
What drives the cost of bus transport?
The study examines how costs are affected when public transport authorities specify requirements in procurement processes that go beyond a common industry standard for buses in the Nordic countries. The researchers have analysed which vehicle specifications are particularly likely to drive up costs and what these deviations may mean for both costs and the environment.
"We hope the research will help the different actors in the market better understand what drives higher costs in public transport. This knowledge can provide a better basis for making informed choices in future procurement processes," says Carl Alm.
The Michael Beesley Award was established in 2005 in memory of transport economist Michael Beesley and is presented as part of the Thredbo Conference Series. Carl Alm is the first Scandinavian researcher to receive the award.
