Tolls on Interurban Road Infrastructure: an Economic Evaluation
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ECONOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE TOLLS ON INTERURBAN ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE AN ECONOMIC EVALUATION ROUND TABLE 118 EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS ECONOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE REPORT OF THE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEENTH ROUND TABLE ON TRANSPORT ECONOMICS held in Paris on 30th November-1st December 2000 on the following topic: TOLLS ON INTERURBAN ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE: AN ECONOMIC EVALUATION EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT (ECMT) The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) is an inter-governmental organisation established by a Protocol signed in Brussels on 17 October 1953. It is a forum in which Ministers responsible for transport, and more specifically the inland transport sector, can co-operate on policy. Within this forum, Ministers can openly discuss current problems and agree upon joint approaches aimed at improving the utilisation and at ensuring the rational development of European transport systems of international importance. At present, the ECMT’s role primarily consists of: – helping to create an integrated transport system throughout the enlarged Europe that is economically and technically efficient, meets the highest possible safety and environmental standards and takes full account of the social dimension; – helping also to build a bridge between the European Union and the rest of the continent at a political level. The Council of the Conference comprises the Ministers of Transport of 42 full Member countries: Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. There are six Associate member countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States) and two Observer countries (Armenia and Morocco). A Committee of Deputies, composed of senior civil servants representing Ministers, prepares proposals for consideration by the Council of Ministers. The Committee is assisted by working groups, each of which has a specific mandate. The issues currently being studied – on which policy decisions by Ministers will be required – include the development and implementation of a pan-European transport policy; the integration of Central and Eastern European Countries into the European transport market; specific issues relating to transport by rail, road and waterway; combined transport; transport and the environment; sustainable urban travel; the social costs of transport; trends in international transport and infrastructure needs; transport for people with mobility handicaps; road safety; traffic management; road traffic information and new communications technologies. Statistical analyses of trends in traffic and investment are published regularly by the ECMT and provide a clear indication of the situation, on a trimestrial or annual basis, in the transport sector in different European countries. As part of its research activities, the ECMT holds regular Symposia, Seminars and Round Tables on transport economics issues. Their conclusions serve as a basis for formulating proposals for policy decisions to be submitted to Ministers. The ECMT’s Documentation Service has extensive information available concerning the transport sector. This information is accessible on the ECMT Internet site. For administrative purposes the ECMT’s Secretariat is attached to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Publié en français sous le titre : Les péages sur les infrastructures routières interurbaines : Une évaluation économique Further information about the ECMT is available on Internet at the following address: www.oecd.org/cem © ECMT 2002 – ECMT Publications are distributed by: OECD Publications Service, 2, rue André Pascal, 75775 PARIS CEDEX 16, France. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTORY REPORTS Report by M. HERRY (Austria) .................................................................................................. 5 Retransference and conflict potential by introducing tolls on intercity road infrastructure 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................ 9 2. Initial acceptance ............................................................................................................. 12 3. Transport demand reactions............................................................................................. 13 4. Retransference ................................................................................................................. 17 5. Final acceptance............................................................................................................... 21 6. Retransference: conclusion ............................................................................................. 29 7. Conflict potential ............................................................................................................. 29 8. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 30 Report by R. IZQUIERDO and J.M. VASSALLO (Spain)..................................................... 33 1. Introduction...................................................................................................................... 37 2. Historical development and functions of tolls ................................................................. 39 3. Economic objectives of tolls............................................................................................ 40 4. Problems with tolls .......................................................................................................... 51 5. Conclusions...................................................................................................................... 57 Annex: overview of policy regarding tolled motorways in Spain ........................................ 58 Report by L. CLEMENT (France) ............................................................................................ 67 The “microeconomic” impact of introducing tolls on intercity road transport infrastructure Introduction............................................................................................................................ 71 1. Transport infrastructure charging: the conceptual framework........................................ 71 2. The microeconomic impact of tolls ................................................................................. 77 3. Variable tolls and the conceptual charging framework ................................................... 86 Report by P. RIETVELD (Netherlands) ................................................................................... 93 Pricing intercity road transport: experiences in the Netherlands 1. Introduction...................................................................................................................... 98 2. Principles for pricing transport ........................................................................................ 99 3. Road transport in the netherlands .................................................................................. 100 4. The marginal costs of road use in the Netherlands ........................................................ 104 5. Congestion pricing on expressways............................................................................... 106 6. Kilometre charge............................................................................................................ 110 7. Fuel tax .......................................................................................................................... 113 8. Distortions due to the fiscal system ............................................................................... 114 3 9. Social acceptance of pricing measures .......................................................................... 116 10. Conclusions.................................................................................................................... 123 Annex: Details on marginal costs of road transport in the Netherlands.............................. 126 OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS............................................................................................................ 131 PONTI, M. (Italy) : Note on infrastructure concession regimes and transport policy ....... 133 SCHLOSSER, T. (Slovak Republic) : Electronic toll collection - road pricing on slovakian motorways ........................................................................................................... 135 SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS (Round Table debate on reports) ................................................................................................. 147 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS .............................................................................................................. 157 4 Max HERRY Consultant Vienna Austria 5 RETRANSFERENCE AND CONFLICT POTENTIAL BY INTRODUCING TOLLS ON INTERCITY ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................