Evaluating the impact of transport investment on the efficiency of regional integrated transport systems in China

The development of transport infrastructure is characterized by intensive capital input, intensive energy consumption, and pollution emissions. Against the background of the continuous intensification of resource and energy constraints in China. Therefore, the analysis of China's regional transport efficiency and its determinants has practical significance. This paper attempts to evaluate regional total factor transport efficiency in China based on the Super-SBM DEA model considering undesirable output and explores the influence factors of transport efficiency in China during the period 1995-2012. The empirical results indicate that during the research period, most provinces in China are not performing efficiently in transport systems. Additionally, the overall average level of China's total factor transport efficiency is low and the spatial pattern of the total factor transport efficiency demonstrates a declining trend from eastern to western China, which coincides with the spatial pattern of economic development in China. The analysis of the influence factors by the regression model shows that economic development and government influence can decrease overall transport efficiency, while industrial structure, population density, and geographical position can influence transport efficiency. The influence of these factors varies by region. Finally, this paper provides policy recommendations to improve transport efficiency in China. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.