昆士兰大学最新研究量化了澳大利亚私家车对社会的真实成本，发现这一产业每年耗资约3160亿澳元，其中公众而非驾驶者本身承担了超过一半的开支。[1]根据这项由昆士兰大学建筑、设计与规划学院副教授Dorina Pojani主导的研究，公众的成本支出约为1586.4亿澳元，占比50.18%，而驾驶者自身成本约为1574.8亿澳元，占比49.82%。[1]这项研究覆盖了澳大利亚五个州，结果显示除新南威尔士州外，所有州的公共成本均超过私人成本。[1]
Pojani副教授指出"汽车对社会施加了所有这些成本"，[1]这些成本包括交通拥堵、道路基础设施、停车、排放及污染等多个方面。[1]研究采用了哈佛大学测试验证过的方法进行，成果已发表在同行评审期刊《土木工程师学会学报》上。[1]研究建议政府应转而将补贴投向公共交通和自行车等可持续交通方式，而非继续支持汽车产业。[1]
A University of Queensland study has quantified the economic burden of private car use in Australia, revealing that the nation incurs at least $316 billion in annual costs from private vehicles.[1] The research found that the public bears approximately 50.18% of this expense, accounting for $158.64 billion, while drivers themselves shoulder 49.82%, or $157.48 billion.[1] These public costs encompass congestion, road infrastructure, parking, emissions, and pollution impacts.[1]
The study, which examined five Australian states, determined that public costs exceed private costs in all states except New South Wales.[1] Dorina Pojani, an associate professor at the University of Queensland's School of Architecture, Design and Planning, stated that "cars impose all these costs on society."[1] The research employed methodology tested by Harvard University and was published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers.[1]
The findings suggest a policy reorientation toward investments in sustainable transportation alternatives such as public transit and bicycles.[1] The analysis comes as the City of Yarra council voted last month to terminate its bike-sharing agreement with Lime.[1]