

3.1 Panama Canal booking system and auctionĬongestion pricing is a concept from market economics regarding the use of pricing mechanisms to charge the users of public goods for the negative externalities generated by the peak demand in excess of available supply.Also, concerns regarding fossil fuel supply and urban transport high emissions of greenhouse gases in the context of climate change have renewed interest in congestion pricing, as it is considered one of the demand-side mechanisms that may reduce oil consumption.
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Economists disagree over how to set tolls, how to cover common costs, what to do with any excess revenues, whether and how "losers" from tolling previously free roads should be compensated, and whether to privatize highways. Critics maintain that congestion pricing is not equitable, places an economic burden on neighboring communities, has a negative effect on retail businesses and on economic activity in general, and represents another tax levy.Ī survey of economic literature on the subject, however, finds that most economists agree that some form of road pricing to reduce congestion is economically viable, although there is disagreement on what form road pricing should take. Implementation of congestion pricing has reduced congestion in urban areas and increased house values, but has also sparked criticism and public discontent. Four general types of systems are in use: a cordon area around a city center, with charges for passing the cordon line area wide congestion pricing, which charges for being inside an area a city center toll ring, with toll collection surrounding the city and corridor or single facility congestion pricing, where access to a lane or a facility is priced. The application on urban roads is currently limited to a few cities, including London, Stockholm, Singapore, Milan, and Gothenburg, as well as a few smaller towns, such as Durham, England Znojmo, Czech Republic Riga (ended in 2008), Latvia and Valletta, Malta. Advocates claim this pricing strategy regulates demand, making it possible to manage congestion without increasing supply.Īccording to the economic theory behind congestion pricing, the objective of this policy is the use of the price mechanism to make users conscious of the costs that they impose upon one another when consuming during the peak demand, and that they should pay for the additional congestion they create, thus encouraging the redistribution of the demand in space or in time, and forcing them to pay for the negative externalities they create, making users more aware of their impact on the environment.


Electronic Road Pricing gantry in Singapore, the first city in the world to implement an urban cordon area congestion pricing scheme.Ĭongestion pricing or congestion charges is a system of surcharging users of public goods that are subject to congestion through excess demand, such as through higher peak charges for use of bus services, electricity, metros, railways, telephones, and road pricing to reduce traffic congestion airlines and shipping companies may be charged higher fees for slots at airports and through canals at busy times.
