Congestion Pricing: The Singapore Experience

Whether roads are publicly or privately owned, the efficient use of congested facilities requires the imposition of extra charges during periods of extra demand. This is known as congestion pricing and this chapter describes the experience of Singapore in implementing and managing congestion pricing. Such views about congestion pricing have been around for a long time and came into fashion again in the 1960s. There was the realization that road building could not be the sole answer to solving traffic problems. New road occupy space, are costly and take considerable time to be completed. In order to keep traffic problems within manageable levels, there has to a lid on the amount of vehicle usage on the roads. When a motorist uses the road, he is only aware of the cost incurred to him for his immediate needs, such as the cost of gasoline. When there is no traffic congestion, these costs may be approximate total costs. But as traffic increases and there is congestion, the motorist imposes cost on the community that rise above private costs. Congestion pricing works on the principle that the motorist should pay for all costs his trip, including congestion costs. When a motorist pays for all the costs of his trip, he will be more selective and discriminating in making his trips, which will result in the more efficient distribution of trip time and places. Some privately owned roads do exercise a loose sort of control of use of the road via toll roads. However, unless most roads are privately owned, only a public authority will be in a position to implement congestion pricing on an area-wide basis.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/14180518X
• Corporate Authors:

  Transaction Publishers

  Rutgers-The State University, 35 Berrue Circle
  Piscataway, NJ  United States  08854-8042
• Authors:
  • Menon, Gopinath
• Publication Date: 2006

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 117-140
• Monograph Title: Street Smart. Competition, Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Roads

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Congestion pricing; Costs; Gasoline; Private roads; Toll roads; Traffic congestion; Travel costs; Travel demand; Trip purpose
• Geographic Terms: Singapore
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01026572
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 14180518X
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 3 2006 7:10AM