Road Charging and its Acceptability for Commercial Transit Vehicles (work in progress) Dr. L. Stewart-Ladewig COST WATCH WG 1 2nd December 2004, Namur

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Road Charging and its Acceptability for
Commercial Transit Vehicles (work in
progress)Dr. L. Stewart-LadewigCOST WATCH
WG 12nd December 2004, Namur
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REVENUE (Revenue Use from transport Pricing) a
5th FWP research project
Moving away from establishing transport costs and
setting correct prices to the efficient use of
revenues from transport taxes and charges.
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(No Transcript)
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Acceptability of transit charges

• Background
• Introduction of road charges in Switzerland 2001
  and probable introduction of motorway charges in
  Germany 2005
• No information about acceptability of road
  charges paid in transit

• Goal
• To obtain qualitative information about the
  acceptability of charges paid by foreign
  commercial transport operators using roads in
  Switzerland and Germany

• Approach
• Key informant survey of road transport and
  combined transport organisations with 45
  questions grouped in the following areas problem
  perception, efficiency, fairness,
  technical/operational feasibility

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Countries surveyed
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Results Problem Perception
1 strongly agree 2 agree 3 neither agree
nor disagree 4 disagree 5 strongly disagree
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Results Efficiency
1 strongly agree 2 agree 3 neither agree
nor disagree 4 disagree 5 strongly disagree
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Results Fairness/ use of revenues
1 strongly agree 2 agree 3 neither agree
nor disagree 4 disagree 5 strongly disagree
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Results Technical/ Operational feasibility
1 strongly agree 2 agree 3 neither agree
nor disagree 4 disagree 5 strongly disagree
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Conclusions I (preliminary)

• Strong wish for equity/equality between payment
  of and compensation for charges between vehicle
  operators of different nationalities
• Road pricing is not seen as an effective measure
  to decrease environmental effects, accidents or
  congestion
• Mistrust of (foreign) governments no scientific
  basis behind the setting of charges. Strong
  preference for European charging rules given

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Conclusions II (preliminary)

• Highest preference for earmarking of revenues to
  the road sector, no acceptability for revenues to
  flow to the general budget
• Best way to compensate vehicle operators for the
  extra financial burden of road charges is to
  relax rules on maximum vehicle weight rather than
  give a fuel tax rebate or extend driving times
• Interoperability of road pricing systems is
  important as long as it doesnt come with a cost