DESIGN OF A USER CHARGE FOR HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES ON GERMAN MOTORWAYS CONSIDERING THE OBJECTIVES OF EFFICIENCY, FAIRNESS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION : FINDINGS FROM THE EU RESEARCH PROJECT DESIRE

This paper examines the effect of three different possible German road-pricing plans that would be imposed on heavy-duty vehicles (larger than 12 tons) starting in 2003. The effects studied are reducing environmental impacts by encouraging use of cleaner vehicles by pricing them lower and reducing congestion by pricing highly congested parts of the network higher. A third goal, distributing the cost of infrastructure more fairly among users, is not examined because pricing to accomplish this goal is constrained by legal requirements of the European Union. Many of the environmental benefits are expected to result from shippers switching from truck to rail. The three scenarios are: a modest charge only on motorways; a higher user charge on the entire federal road network at a given level of rail service; and the same scenario, but with improved rail service. The study concluded that pricing can lead to environmental gains but only if the scheme is applied throughout the road network so that traffic is not diverted to secondary roads and only if rail service improves enough to be a substitute. Extending road pricing to light-duty cars and trucks would add a great deal to the benefits.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03861112
• Corporate Authors:

  International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences

  6-20, Yaesu 2-chome, Chuo-ku
  Tokyo 104-0028,   Japan 
• Authors:
  • ROTHENGATTER, W
  • Doll, C
• Publication Date: 2002

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 6-16
• Serial:
  • IATSS Research
  • Volume: 26
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences
  • ISSN: 0386-1112

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Congestion pricing; Cost of service pricing; Environmental policy; Heavy duty vehicles; Policy; Road pricing; Toll roads; User charges; Value of service pricing
• Geographic Terms: Germany
• Subject Areas: Economics; Environment; Finance; Highways; Policy; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00934519
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Dec 3 2002 12:00AM