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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

Acceptability of road charge

Tiemaksun hyvaksyttavyys

Experts, politicians and interest groups have led the debate on road charges in Finland. Since the 1990's opinions have become more positive. Traffic administration desires economic instruments to be used both in transport policy and in financing the transport system. Yet there is no desire to raise the overall cost of transport. Political parties and the parliament conform to the views of voters and businesses. Strengthening environmental concerns and shortage of funds for the transport system have increased support for road charges. Reservations are based on the constitutional power of the parliament in decisions that concern taxation and the use of tax revenue, as well as concerns on the competitiveness of the industry. Issues conditional to acceptance of road charges by the general public are: 1) People consider traffic problems and/or related social problems to be big and in need of solution. 2) Good performance of the transport system is considered important. 3) Ways of adapting to road charges must exist; alternative travel and transport modes and routes. 4) Charges must be seen to improve the transport system. 5) Charges must be fair to all traveller groups. 6) Revenue must be used in the benefit of the transport system. 7) People must have a chance to say how charges are implemented. 8) The overall cost of travel must not rise. A Finnish postal survey tested the acceptance of a general road charge in five regional samples. Current fixed taxes on passenger cars and light goods vehicles where proposed to be replaced by road charge, and the revenue was proposed to be recycled within the transport system. 48 % of the respondents accepted the idea of a road charge, 46 % rejected it and 6 % did not answer the question. Regional differences in attitudes where very small, except for stronger rejection in Eastern Lapland. Strongest opposition came from households that drive most and own many cars. As a favoured pricing instrument 43 % of the respondents chose the kilometre charge, 25 % higher fuel taxes and 22 % the day charge. Half of the respondents considered the road charge as a workable tool for transport policy. The majority of respondents saw that road charges could promote environmental issues, solve charging of free riding foreign vehicles on the road network, and provide an incentive to curb car use in general. The respondents strongly stood up for using road charge revenues in road keeping. Besides serving car traffic the accepted uses included also service of pedestrian traffic and public transport on public roads. Funding of public transport subsidies and the rail network where least favoured. This report may be found at http://alk.tiehallinto.fi/julkaisut/pdf3/livi-sel_4_2010_tiemaksun_hyvaksyttavyys.pdf

Language

  • Finnish

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01321574
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: TRL
  • ISBN: 978-952-255-011-8
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Nov 29 2010 11:40AM