Creating public acceptance of congestion charges : revisiting the evidences

Abstract

Congestion is one of the main problems faced by urban centres. In the last few decades, policy makers have being combining traditional policies to address this issue such as investments in public transport and the building of roads, with to policy for congestion. Within this new perspective, congestion charge schemes appear as one of the most prominent instruments used since they reduce traffic congestion and induce changes in people´s travel behaviour towards the use of more sustainable means of transport. Nevertheless, few cities in the world have successfully implemented this tax owing to the low public acceptability which these charges tend to face.