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Road user charging: The global relevance of recent developments in the United Kingdom

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  • Hensher, David A.
  • Puckett, Sean M.

Abstract

Charging users of the roads for the costs they impose on the system is not new. Economists have been promoting its virtues for as long as arguments about economic efficiency have been in print. What is different today is that a growing number (but by no means all) of decision makers are showing a greater interest and commitment to finding ways to improve the efficiency of the road system, be it through infrastructure expansion and/or other means. Of special interest are the growing level of traffic congestion, and a feeling of almost helplessness, that we seem to have failed in finding a way forward to maintain traffic congestion at levels that are acceptable to the public, and are consistent with principles of good economic practice. The literature abounds with suggestions on how this might be achieved, focused primarily on various pricing regimes that say as much as about levels of charges as they do about the role of the revenue raised, the latter as controversial as the former. The current state of technology provides a capability to introduce sophisticated charging mechanisms. We are at a stage in the evolution of 'solutions' to dealing with inefficient road use and provision of road funds that offers real prospects of delivering outcomes that can align with political, social and user demands and expectations. This paper provides a global perspective on the road to efficiency, using the UK contributions in the special issue as a backdrop of what can be done. The issues and challenges are sufficiently global to enable the contributions to be of immediate relevance beyond the UK.

Suggested Citation

  • Hensher, David A. & Puckett, Sean M., 2005. "Road user charging: The global relevance of recent developments in the United Kingdom," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 377-383, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:12:y:2005:i:5:p:377-383
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bonsall, Peter & Kelly, Charlotte, 2005. "Road user charging and social exclusion: The impact of congestion charges on at-risk groups," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 406-418, September.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Vonk Noordegraaf, Diana & Annema, Jan Anne & van Wee, Bert, 2014. "Policy implementation lessons from six road pricing cases," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 172-191.
    3. Velaga, Nagendra R. & Pangbourne, Kate, 2014. "Achieving genuinely dynamic road user charging: issues with a GNSS-based approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 243-253.
    4. Gutiérrez, Javier & Condeço-Melhorado, Ana Margarida & Martín, Juan Carlos & Román, Concepción, 2013. "Road pricing in the European Union: direct revenue transfer between countries," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 95-104.
    5. Hensher, David A. & Puckett, Sean M., 2007. "Congestion and variable user charging as an effective travel demand management instrument," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(7), pages 615-626, August.
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    7. Robin Lindsey, 2006. "Do Economists Reach A Conclusion on Road Pricing? The Intellectual History of an Idea," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 3(2), pages 292-379, May.
    8. Glavic, Drazenko & Milos, Mladenovic & Luttinen, Tapio & Cicevic, Svetlana & Trifunovic, Aleksandar, 2017. "Road to price: User perspectives on road pricing in transition country," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 79-94.
    9. Pratik Verma & Shaurya Agarwal & Pushkin Kachroo & Anjala Krishen, 2017. "Declining transportation funding and need for analytical solutions: dynamics and control of VMT tax," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(3), pages 131-140, December.
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    12. Taylor, Brian D. PhD & Kalauskas, Rebecca MA & Iseki, Hiroyuki, 2010. "Addressing Equity Challenges to Implementing Road Pricing," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt83r073fp, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.

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