William Eichler 06 February 2018

‘Road pricing’ only way to solve congestion, economist argues

An economist has called for a ‘nationwide system of charging for roads by use’ in response to research that found traffic congestion cost motorists nearly £40bn in 2017.

The INRIX 2017 Global Traffic Scorecard has found the UK ranked in the top 10 most congested countries in the world — the third most congested in Europe behind Russia and Turkey.

UK drivers spend an average of 31 hours a year in congestion during peak hours.

The Scorecard analysed 111 cities and towns across the UK and found the direct and indirect costs of congestion for all drivers totalled more than £37.7bn last year — an average of £1,168 per driver.

London was the UK’s most congested city with motorists spending approximately 74 hours a year in congestion during peak times, costing each of them £2,430 per annum.

Professor Roger Vickerman from the School of Economics at the University of Kent argues ‘road pricing’ would solve the problem of congestion.

‘What is needed is a nationwide system of charging for roads by use – road pricing,’ he explains.

‘We already have blunt instruments such as the London Congestion Charge, but a sophisticated system of electronic tolling would charge drivers for their actual use of the system and by differentiating by time of day can encourage those with flexibility to adjust their journeys to times of lower traffic volumes.

‘The current system of charging motorists is a tax on car purchase and ownership, and doesn’t distinguish by area of residence or actual use. Cars spend an average 95% of their life parked.

'Residents of rural areas, many of whom have no alternative to using a car, typically travel on the least congested roads, but pay the same in road tax and fuel duty.

‘Such drivers would be better off under a system which charged for the actual use of roads that reflected levels of congestion.’

Professor Vickerman noted that while building more roads and improving junctions can help in some cases, the evidence suggests that this just encourages more traffic.

‘Eventually, as with any limited resource, the only solution is one that uses price as a means of allocation – that’s how we charge for the alternatives such as bus, rail or air,’ he said.

‘The overall cost to road users would be less; the estimated average cost of that 31 hours of wasted time is £1168; that would pay for a lot of miles. Politicians need to grasp this nettle now.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Director of Public Health

Royal Borough of Greenwich
Up to £131,210
The Public Health department is at the heart of the council’s business. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Head of Regeneration and Growth

Plymouth City Council
£68,387 - £74,411 (MFS and relocation available, pay award pending)
This is a unique opportunity to lead our award-winning development team and directly deliver hundreds of millions of pounds of projects. Plymouth, Devon
Recuriter: Plymouth City Council

Director of Adult Social Care

Wiltshire Council
£119,390 - £127,137
Join us as the Director of Adult Social Care and make a real difference to people’s lives. Wiltshire
Recuriter: Wiltshire Council

Assistant Director Planning, Performance & Engagement

East Sussex County Council
up to £97,700
With strong local communities, unspoilt countryside and vibrant coastal towns, East Sussex offers an exceptional quality of life to many. East Sussex
Recuriter: East Sussex County Council

Director of Finance & Commerce

Lancashire County Council
Up to £114,339
You will play a critical role in driving the organisation through complex change and innovation. Lancashire
Recuriter: Lancashire County Council
Linkedin Banner