THE FUTURE OF ROAD TRANSPORTATION: RESTRAINT OR RELEASE?

The industry's potential needs to be released by three interlinked measures: gradually introduce the large changes in vehicle taxation necessary to approximate the principle of users paying the costs they actually impose on society (incremental maintenance, congestion and environmental nuisance); make clear in planning, and to users, the link between these user taxes and investment to relieve congestion and related problems; and allow full commercial freedom to private enterprises to find the best means, given these taxing arrangements, for responding to market demands. Recent experience is positive, from Singapore and France on the levying of infrastructure charges reflecting costs, and from Chile, Sri Lanka and Buenos Aires on deregulation of bus services. Developments in telecommunications and administrative decentralization add to the importance of realistic pricing for road use. Progress in restructuring user taxation is vital to the future of the industry, but a pragmatic approach should be adopted in the selection of technical means. Public education is also needed. (TRRL)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Papers from the 9th IRF World Meeting, Road Into the Future--General Session, held in Stockholm, June 1-5, 1981.
• Corporate Authors:

  Svenska Vaegfoereningens Foerlags AB

  P.O. Box 27115
  S-102 52 Stockholm,   Sweden 
• Authors:
  • Willoughby, C
• Publication Date: 1981

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 103-108
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Svenska Vaegfoereningen
  • Publisher: Svenska Vaegfoereningens Foerlags AB

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus lines; Conferences; Costs; Deregulation; Economics; Environment; Financing; Highways; Maintenance; Planning; Road pricing; Sociology; Taxes; Traffic congestion; Transportation; Travel budgets; Travelers; User charges
• Uncontrolled Terms: Road user costs
• ITRD Terms: 8525: Conference; 632: Congestion (traffic); 255: Economics; 244: Financing; 2755: Highway; 3847: Maintenance; 143: Planning; 240: Road pricing; 1755: Road user; 2253: Sociology; 268: Tax; 1155: Transport
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Finance; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General); I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00345507
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 30 1982 12:00AM