Introduction

Since 1990, economics, and within that transport economics, has taken a new direction, with the increasing effect and relationship with the market, and the gradual creation of the legal background. Examination of the economic procedures behind the new laws, the so-called importance of effect analysis, has strengthened within research in transport economics.
Modification of the economic structure, and changes in the ownership structure have led to a greater role for the collection of additional information; one method of doing this is the increase in representative surveys.
The foundation of the economic background, the exploration of the relationship between law harmonisation and the economy and the evaluation of the tasks required to bridge the gap (and the speed at which these could be achieved) were constant tasks during the European Union accession process.

With regard to the main tendencies in research, our department carries out the following:

• Research work, commissioned by the ministry, in the field of law harmonisation and within the framework of the Phare and MATRA projects, for the purpose of easing accession to the EU,
• Joint research with the Dutch NEA research institute for the purpose of measuring expected levels of traffic,
• In addition to the conventional economic activities (e.g. cost-profit analysis, division of labour prognosis within transport, sub-sectional economics), market and media analyses for state institutions throughout the country, in order to gauge public opinion more accurately,
• In addition to the research in to the relationship between transport and society (again for the Ministry of Transport), provision of missing information through individual representative surveys.

Scientific and market contacts:

Departmental staff have a very close relationship with the MTA Transport Sciences Committee; most are members of the Transport Sciences Society and participate in the work of the World Road Association (PIARC), the OECD and the ECMT.
In addition to the Ministry of Transport, the department has also built fruitful relationships with ÁKMI and UKIG, as well as the Dutch NEA institute (MATRA project), NEI (Phare programmes) and the TNO-Inro institute.