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Probabilistic Choice and Congestion Pricing with Heterogeneous Travellers and Price-Sensitive Demand

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Koster
  • Erik T. Verhoef

    (VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

  • Simon Shepherd
  • David Watling

    (University of Leeds, United Kingdom)

Abstract

This paper deals with first-best and second-best congestion pricing of a stylised two-link network with probabilistic route choice of travellers. Travellers may have heterogeneous values of travel times and may differ in their idiosyncratic route preferences. We derive first-best and second-best tolls taking into account how the overall network demand responds to generalized costs including the tolls that are levied. We show that with homogeneous values of times the welfare losses of second-best pricing, of one link only, may be smaller if route choice is probabilistic. Furthermore, we show that with heterogeneous values of times, common second-best tolls and group-differentiated tolls can be very close when route choice is governed by random utility maximisation, leading to low welfare losses from the inability to differentiate tolls.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Koster & Erik T. Verhoef & Simon Shepherd & David Watling, 2014. "Probabilistic Choice and Congestion Pricing with Heterogeneous Travellers and Price-Sensitive Demand," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 14-078/VIII, Tinbergen Institute, revised 13 Nov 2014.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20140078
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ioannis Tikoudis, 2015. "Congestion Pricing in Urban Polycentric Networks with Distorted Labor Markets: A Spatial General Equilibrium Model for the Area Randstad," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 15-085/VIII, Tinbergen Institute, revised 26 Oct 2017.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Stochastic User Equilibrium; Second-best Congestion Pricing; Preference Heterogeneity; Scale Heterogeneity; Probabilistic Choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R40 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - General
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
    • R48 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government Pricing and Policy

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