{"id":55090,"date":"2021-06-07T15:57:58","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T14:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lse.ac.uk\/granthaminstitute\/?post_type=publication&p=55090"},"modified":"2024-08-19T14:39:56","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T13:39:56","slug":"congestion-pricing-air-pollution-and-individual-level-behavioural-responses","status":"publish","type":"publication","link":"https:\/\/www.lse.ac.uk\/granthaminstitute\/publication\/congestion-pricing-air-pollution-and-individual-level-behavioural-responses\/","title":{"rendered":"Congestion pricing, air pollution, and individual-level behavioural responses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Combatting climate change and poor urban air quality will require a fundamental shift towards greener modes of transport. Policies that incentivise individuals to choose low-emission alternatives to conventional transport will likely play a key role in this transition. This paper examines the example of congestion charging and shows that differentiating driving costs by time of day and vehicle type can help to improve urban air quality, reduce driving and induce adoption of electric vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authors find that a congestion charge imposed in Bergen, Norway, that imposed spatial and temporal variation in the cost of driving a conventional vehicle, led to reduced volumes of traffic and concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2<\/sub>). Households exposed to congestion charging on their way to work were more likely to adopt an electric vehicle (EV). Overall, the findings on car ownership suggest that congestion charging combined with exemptions for EVs can be a powerful tool to promote EV adoption, but that there are systematic differences in how households respond to the policy, depending on factors including income, level of education and access to public transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key points for decision-makers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n