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The Swedish congestion charges: ten years on: - and effects of increasing charging levels

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Abstract

This paper explores the effects of the Swedish congestion charges 10 years on. We find that the price elasticity of the traffic across the cordon was lower when the charging levels were increased than when they were first introduced, in Stockholm and in Gothenburg. The price elasticity was also lower when the Stockholm system was extended to include the Essinge bypass (E4/E20). The implication of these results is that adjustments in charging levels between days and seasons would have a limited effect on traffic volume. Moreover, the elasticity is substantially higher in the off-peak period than in the peak. A third finding is that the long-term elasticity is declining in Gothenburg but increasing in Stockholm. Public support is also declining in Gothenburg but increasing in Stockholm. The operating costs of the systems have declined.

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  • Börjesson , Maria & Kristoffersson, Ida, 2017. "The Swedish congestion charges: ten years on: - and effects of increasing charging levels," Working papers in Transport Economics 2017:2, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:ctswps:2017_002
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    Cited by:

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    3. Souche-Le Corvec, Stéphanie & Mercier, Aurélie & Ovtracht, Nicolas & Chevallier, Amandine, 2019. "Urban toll and electric vehicles: The winning ticket for Lyon Metropolitan Area (France)," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 17-33.
    4. Mukhopadhyay, Boidurjo & Chatwin, Chris, 2021. "'Your Driver is Didi and Minutes Away from Your Pick-Up Point': Understanding Employee Motivation in the Gig Economy of China," GLO Discussion Paper Series 805, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Varela, Juan Manuel Lorenzo & Börjesson, Maria & Daly, Andrew, 2018. "Quantifying errors in travel time and cost by latent variables," Working papers in Transport Economics 2018:3, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).
    6. Eliasson, Jonas & Börjesson, Maria, 2022. "Costs and benefits of parking charges in residential areas," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 95-109.
    7. Jens West & Maria Börjesson, 2020. "The Gothenburg congestion charges: cost–benefit analysis and distribution effects," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 145-174, February.
    8. Lorenzo Varela , Juan Manuel & Börjesson, Maria & Daly, Andrew, 2017. "Public transport: one mode or several?," Working papers in Transport Economics 2017:6, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Congestion charges; Behavioural adaptation; Time-dependent cordon; Tolling system; Traffic effects; Public support; Transferability; System design;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
    • R42 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government and Private Investment Analysis; Road Maintenance; Transportation Planning
    • R48 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government Pricing and Policy

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