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Decision Makers' Guide to Road Tolling in CAREC Countries

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Decision Makers' Guide to Road Tolling in CAREC Countries Decision Makers’ Guide to Road Tolling in CAREC Countries Cumulative transport investments under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program reached $23.4 billion in 2017 through which approximately 9,964 kilometers of expressways or national highways were built or improved. For the upkeep of road corridors, CAREC countries agreed to take measures to set up road funds and road tolling to ensure adequate maintenance funding. This guide presents fundamental concepts of road tolling; addresses concerns typically faced in the introduction of tolls; and provides useful tips for design, implementation, and operation of toll road projects. It highlights challenges decision makers may face in implementing toll road projects and extracts lessons from international experiences relevant to the circumstances of CAREC countries. About the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program is a partnership of 11 member countries and development partners working together to promote development through cooperation, leading to accelerated economic growth and poverty reduction. It is guided by the overarching vision of “Good Neighbors, Good Partners, and Good Prospects.” CAREC countries include: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the People’s Republic of China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. About the Asian Development Bank ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world’s poor. ADB is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants, and DECISION MAKERS’ GUIDE technical assistance. TO ROAD TOLLING IN CAREC COUNTRIES JUNE 2018 CAREC SECRETARIAT www.carecprogram.org ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK www.adb.org DECISION MAKERS’ GUIDE TO ROAD TOLLING IN CAREC COUNTRIES JUNE 2018 ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO) © 2018 Asian Development Bank 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City, 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines Tel +63 2 632 4444; Fax +63 2 636 2444 www.adb.org Some rights reserved. Published in 2018. ISBN 978-92-9261-124-8 (print), 978-92-9261-125-5 (electronic) Publication Stock No. TIM179140-2 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22617/TIM179140-2 The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by ADB in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/. By using the content of this publication, you agree to be bound by the terms of this license. For attribution, translations, adaptations, and permissions, please read the provisions and terms of use at https://www.adb.org/terms-use#openaccess. This CC license does not apply to non-ADB copyright materials in this publication. If the material is attributed to another source, please contact the copyright owner or publisher of that source for permission to reproduce it. ADB cannot be held liable for any claims that arise as a result of your use of the material. Please contact [email protected] if you have questions or comments with respect to content, or if you wish to obtain copyright permission for your intended use that does not fall within these terms, or for permission to use the ADB logo. Notes: In this publication, “$” refers to United States dollars. ADB recognizes “China” as the People’s Republic of China. Corrigenda to ADB publications may be found at http://www.adb.org/publications/corrigenda. Foreword iii Contents Tables, Figures, and Boxes v Acknowledgments vii Abbreviations viii 1 Introduction to This Guide 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 What are the objectives of this guide? 2 1.3 To whom is this guide addressed? 2 1.4 To what extent are toll roads used across the world? 2 1.5 Why are toll roads relevant to CAREC countries? 3 2 Tolls in the Broader Perspective of Roads Funding 7 2.1 What are tolls? 7 2.2 What are the most common types of tolls? 7 2.3 What are direct and shadow tolls? 9 2.4 Are there other systems to finance roads? What are their implications? 9 2.5 What are the main pros and cons of tolls? 11 3 Tolls in the Context of Private Sector Participation in Roads Funding and Operations 12 3.1 What is the relationship between tolls and privatization? 12 3.2 What objectives can be addressed by tolls and what objectives by private sector participation? 15 3.3 Are projects delivered through public–private partnerships cheaper than projects delivered through conventional public procurement? 17 4 Setting a Toll Roads Policy 19 4.1 What are the options available? 19 4.2 How is it decided what parts of the network should be tolled? 21 4.3 Should only motorways be tolled? 22 4.4 Should an alternative free road always be granted? 22 4.5 Can traffic diversion be managed? 24 4.6 Is it advisable to use toll on urban motorways and ring roads? 27 4.7 How can concerns and opposition from users and stakeholders be dealt with? 28 5 Setting Up an Enabling Legislative Framework 30 5.1 What legislation should be in place to ensure solid foundations for toll roads? 30 5.2 What enabling reforms in road sector legislation are recommended? 30 5.3 How can exclusivity rights and competition issues be dealt with? 31 5.4 What issues should be addressed to ensure toll payment? 31 5.5 Is a public–private partnership law a prerequisite for toll roads? 32 iii iv Contents 6 Putting in Place the Appropriate Governance and Skills 33 6.1 What capabilities and technical skills are required to implement toll roads? 33 6.2 What organizational and governance structures should be set up? 33 6.3 What structures should be set if the option is a public sector operator? 35 7 Assessing and Preparing Toll Roads Projects 37 7.1 Is the proposed toll road the best option? Have other options been considered? 37 7.2 Has the affordability of the project been properly assessed? 37 7.3 Are demand forecasts robust? 38 7.4 How should toll rates be set? 39 7.5 What if tolls are insufficient to cover project costs? 40 7.6 How can toll segmentation address other objectives? 42 7.7 What should be the duration of contracts? 42 7.8 What to do when the infrastructure is paid? Should toll collection be stopped? 44 8 Looking for the Right Partners 46 8.1 Who are the key actors in a toll road project? 46 8.2 What are the typical risks associated with a toll roads project and how to allocate them? 47 8.3 How is commercial risk managed? 49 8.4 How are the most appropriate partners engaged? 49 9 Procuring for the Best Outcome 52 9.1 How should the bidding process be organized? 52 9.2 What evaluation criteria should be used? 52 9.3 How are opportunistic bidders dealt with? 53 9.4 What topics should a contract for a toll road include? 53 9.5 How to deal with contract renegotiations? 54 10 Avoiding Pitfalls in Project Implementation and Delivery 56 10.1 Have all pitfalls to implementation been considered? 56 10.2 How should project design and construction be monitored and works accepted? 58 11 Designing and Managing Toll Roads 59 11.1 Open or closed tolls? 59 11.2 How are tolls to be collected? What are the side effects and implications of different toll collection mechanisms? 60 11.3 What are the most common technologies used in electronic tolls? 62 11.4 What is the appropriate distance between gates? 63 11.5 Should toll roads have rest and service areas? 64 11.6 What services should be offered? 64 11.7 How should toll road operators deal with users and social groups? 66 12 Want to Learn More? 67 Foreword v Tables, Figures, and Boxes Tables 1 Sources of Road Funding and Their Implications 10 2 Pros and Cons of Tolls 11 3 Options of Private Sector Participation in Toll Roads 12 4 Policy Objectives Addressed by Tolls and by Private Sector Participation 15 5 Comparison between Public Sector and Public–Private Partnership Delivery of Projects 18 6 Approaches to Motorway Design and Construction and Their Implications to the Free Alternative Road 23 7 Arguments for and against Tolling Urban Motorways 28 8 Structures and Functions at Preparation Stage 34 9 Structures and Functions at Implementation Stage 34 10 Structures and Functions at Operations Stage 35 11 Elements Causing Negative Impacts on the Affordability of a Toll Road Project 38 12 Social and Behavioral Factors Impacting on Toll Revenue 40 13 Recommendations
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