Economic Impacts of Introducing Tolls for Heavy-Goods Vehicles (original) (raw)
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Empirica, 2012
In road freight transport a particularly large share of the total social costs generated is not borne by road users. To correct for this, many European countries use pricing instruments specifically targeted at heavy duty vehicles, so far targeted almost exclusively at the primary road network. In line with the overall EU objective of greening the transport sector, we discuss the possibility of expanding the road charging system to a more comprehensive, area-wide one. The degree to which peripheral or disadvantaged regions are hit over-proportionally by such a measure remains an open question in the literature on heavy duty vehicle road pricing. We combine an inputoutput and a computable general equilibrium approach to analyse the case for Austria. We find that while it is not the sectors of highest economic importance in the periphery regions that are hit by the charge, those sectors that are hit are those which are relatively more important in peripheral regions (with up to a twofold share in value added) and for whom production price impacts tend to be relatively strong. The short term consumer price effect of extending the current primary road network charges to the secondary network is found not to exceed 0.15%. In terms of the principles of sustainable transport we find that extending charge coverage is compatible with most core principles, the exception being the principle of regional need. In terms of environmental impact, for example, expanding heavy duty vehicle charges to the secondary road network reduces heavy duty vehicle kilometres in the overall network (and related emissions) by roughly 2%. However, in order to comply with the needs principle, suitable complementary transfer policies need to be designed and implemented for peripheral regions.
Road pricing in the European Union: direct revenue transfer between countries
Journal of Transport Geography, 2013
In 2011 the 'Eurovignette' directive on distance-based road pricing in Europe was finally passed by the European Parliament and the European Council. It will bring benefits to the environment and contribute towards financing the cost of maintaining road infrastructure, but wider effects are also expected. This study measures the transfer of revenue derived from the introduction of the Eurovignette directive using an OD trucks matrix and a Geographic Information System (GIS). A revenue transfer matrix is obtained reflecting the cost of the toll fees paid and collected by each country for the use of both its own roads and those of the other countries. From this matrix it is possible to know which countries will have positive or negative balances between revenue and payments as a consequence of introducing a common road pricing policy. The results obtained demonstrate that this revenue transfer between European countries will be highly asymmetrical, with a clear trend towards positive balances for central countries and negative balances for peripheral ones.
Economic and Financial Feasibility of Truck Toll Lanes
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2003
The economic and financial feasibility of heavy-truck toll lanes was analyzed. This research expanded the line of inquiry of previous researchers by analyzing toll lanes for exclusive use by heavy trucks (i.e., large size and capacity). Implementation of such a toll system was studied relative to productivity changes, toll-lane fees, users' travel time and vehicle operating cost savings, and impact on infrastructure costs. The economic benefits were estimated using the Highway Design and Maintenance Standards Model developed by the World Bank. The analyses, complemented with sensitivity analyses of key variables, indicate that heavy-truck lanes are economically and financially viable.
Economic impact of the introduction of the German HGV toll system
Transport Policy, 2007
After a long period of political debate and technological difficulties, the German heavy goods vehicle (HGV) toll system was finally put into operation in January 2005. This paper is divided into two main parts. The first section discusses the German HGV toll in detail, with a focus on fee calculation. This is followed by an analysis of the macroeconomic impact of the toll. Based on an input-output model for the German economy involving 70 distinct industries, undesirable potential price increases are considered along with potential positive employment effects which can be expected if the toll revenue re-enters the economy.
IATSS Research, 2002
The German government plans to introduce a kilometre charge on motorways for heavy duty vehicles >12t, beginning in the year 2003. According to an EU Directive the charge has to be orientated to the average infrastructure costs and can be differentiated according to the environmental performance ("EURO Standard") of the vehicles. Based on the possible differentiation of the user charge this paper analyses the probable impacts on the transport market and on basic environmental indicators. Three scenarios are constructed: first, a modest user charge only on motorways; second, a higher user charge on the whole network of federal roads with a given level of service of the railways; and third, the previous scenario combined with an improved level of service of the railways. The result is that only in the case of the third scenario the hope of environmental policy is realistic that road transport can be reduced and environmental quality significantly improved through a road user charging scheme. Road freight transport, User charges, Directive 62/1999/EC of the European Community, Environmental effects, Efficiency and equity * Paper submitted to the 81 st Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Washington DC, 13 th-17 th January 2002.
Road transport social costs in Spain: a new rationale for pricing policy
Proceedings of the 12th World Conference on Transport Research 2010 12th World Conference on Transport Research 2010 11 07 2010 15 07 2010 Lisboa Lisboa, 2010
Like all EU countries, Spain should design and promote a fair and homogeneous generalized road pricing scheme. Tolls should vary according to infrastructure damage, degree of congestion, risk of accident, and environmental nuisances. An initial study (Spanish road pricing model project: META) of interurban transport pricing has been carried out at national level, considering the valuation of the internal and external costs to define efficient road pricing schemes of different type of roads and appropriate price levels in different interurban road contexts, shifting from a toll for financing infrastructure construction to a toll for recovering social costs. The META project has developed an easy-to-apply pricing methodology, based on a bottom-up approach. The main variable is the AADT-daily flow-applied to accurately estimate generalized road transport costs for each kind of vehicles and each type of road. Based on the current Spanish road network, the META model estimates all social costs: internal costs (fuel, vehicle maintenance, labor, insurance and tax) and Road transport Social Costs in Spain: a new rationale for pricing policy
The environmental benefits from road pricing
DAE WORKING PAPERS, 2000
In this paper the environmental benefits of optimal tolls in eight English towns are estimated. Tolls are simulated using the SATURN model (Simulation and Assignment of Traffic to Urban Road Networks) with associated software to simulate the changes in traffic patterns resulting from cordon tolls. With these results the optimal tolls are computed together with the resulting levels and speeds of traffic in each of our study towns. Changes in vehicle emissions are estimated and reduction in health and global warming costs computed. One of the main results is that any toll designed to reduce traffic congestion would yield positive environmental benefits.
IATSS research, 2002
The German government plans to introduce a kilometre charge on motorways for heavy duty vehicles >12t, beginning in the year 2003. According to an EU Directive the charge has to be orientated to the average infrastructure costs and can be differentiated according to the environmental performance ("EURO Standard") of the vehicles. Based on the possible differentiation of the user charge this paper analyses the probable impacts on the transport market and on basic environmental indicators. Three scenarios are constructed: first, a modest user charge only on motorways; second, a higher user charge on the whole network of federal roads with a given level of service of the railways; and third, the previous scenario combined with an improved level of service of the railways. The result is that only in the case of the third scenario the hope of environmental policy is realistic that road transport can be reduced and environmental quality significantly improved through a road user charging scheme. Road freight transport, User charges, Directive 62/1999/EC of the European Community, Environmental effects, Efficiency and equity * Paper submitted to the 81 st Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Washington DC, 13 th-17 th January 2002.
Urban toll and electric vehicles: The winning ticket for Lyon Metropolitan Area (France)
Research in Transportation Economics, 2019
The financial situation of the Lyon's public transport network (France) is satisfactory, however its financial structure evolution and the amount of funding requirement revealed the first signs of concern. To get revenues, one of the considered solutions is to implement an urban road toll. Adding to well-known congestion reduction, this solution would get car drivers to contribute better, and it would also lead to reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In these circumstances, it is necessary to assess the potential effects of implementing this type of pricing solution. In this paper, we propose to evaluate this new pricing measure with respect to several urban indicators (environmental, accessibility, social inequality, public transport performance, public funding requirements). We used the MOSART modelling platform to test several pricing solutions for the Lyon Metropolitan Area based on several possible scenarios for the future (2030). The analysis of our results shows that it is possible to implement an urban toll capable of generating new revenues without increasing inequality. Furthermore, if it associated to the transformation of the fleet of vehicles into electric vehicles, it would also generate positive results regarding CO 2 emissions. As a consequence, urban road toll and electric vehicles become the winning ticket for Lyon Metropolitan Area in the future.