THE ROLE OF ROAD PRICING IN ACHIEVING NET ZERO

Webinars

Information

Road pricing has been a politically charged issue in the UK for decades. The ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 upped the ante by raising the challenge of a corresponding decline in two significant sources of Treasury revenue – fuel duty and vehicle excise duty – but Government has recently said that, from 1 April 2025, all electric car owners will be required to pay the standard rate of road tax VED, which is currently £165 per year. Advocates for road pricing suggest that a ’pay as you drive’ system Is revenue neutral, with most motorists paying the same or less than they do currently. Several recent studies, from all sides of the transport sector, have suggested that the public is minded to accept some form of road pricing in future. The Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan commits to delivering a ’zero emission fleet of cars, vans, motorcycles, and scooters’. It also says that ’we will reform the way local transport infrastructure is funded to drive and deliver decarbonisation at a local level’. Road pricing is not mentioned. By law, the UK’s emissions must be net zero by 2050. The webinar was chaired by Katie Hall, Business Director at SYSTRA. Speakers included: David Connolly, Director of Technical Development, SYSTRA - Achieving carbon zero: why road user charging / pay as you go charging is required. David Metz, honorary professor, Centre for Transport Studies, University College London - Types of road pricing – overview of schemes throughout the world. Trevor Ellis, Director, Trevor Ellis Consulting and ITS UK - Demand management/road user pricing to fund future sustainable transport projects, plus the innovative use of capital budgets. Silviya Barrett, Director of Policy, Research and Projects, Campaign for Better Transportar - Impacts of charging on behavioural change.

URL

https://www.systra.com/uk/mediatheque/the-role-of-road-pricing-in-achieving-net-zero/

SYSTRA6 Planning Transport Futures Today - Technology and Innovation The increased development and use of technology in transport will be essential if we are to meet the decarbonisation, economic growth and liveable community goals. As a result, it is expected that the forthcoming Transport Plans for communities in the UK will emphasise the use of both current and emerging transport technologies to further promote public, active and shared transport modes and congestion reduction. In developing a sustainable transport network, we must be aware of how technology will continue to evolve over the full duration of the LTP and develop technical solutions to maximise transport opportunities whilst providing the framework for economic growth. Whilst technology is only a small part of the overall solutions required, Transport Plans should provide a focus on specific technologies that will become a catalyst for change such as improved access to information, payment options, micro mobility modes, on-demand transport, battery electric vehicle technology, autonomous vehicle technologies, alternative fuels and mobility hubs, to bring together liveable communities. They may also include some forms of congestion charging or road user pricing. The use of transport apps to provide an integrated platform of all available transport modes, often referred to as Mobility as a Service (MaaS), that includes active, social and private modes of travel should be part of this holistic approach, acting as a catalyst for decarbonisation programs and better promoting concepts of 15-minute communities and first mile/last mile travel options. Key to gaining modal shift away from car use is ensuring that payment for travel is simple, transparent and fair. Payment technologies such as Account Based Ticketing can reduce the friction of paying for public transport, micro transport, car clubs and more. Technology now supports concepts of distance and geo-location to allow new thinking about pricing and we can use technology to recognise multi-leg journeys and calculate an end-to-end price, which represents value to customers. At SYSTRA we have worldwide experience in the development of innovative transport planning services and advice on the application and development of existing and emerging technologies and data sources to deliver transport and environmental policies and aspirations for our communities to ensure there is a prosperous and equitable future for all. This includes advice on: • Connected and/or automated vehicle technologies including associated infrastructure, communications etc. • Road User charging design, build, and contract management. • Congestion charging including Workplace Parking Levies, LEV and ULEV schemes, Sustainable traffic management solutions. • Mobility as a Service( MaaS), Liveable and sustainable communities, land-use planning etc. • Payment, Account Based Ticketing and smart ticketing technologies • Future fuels, including EV charging strategies, Hydrogen requirements, and the impact of new fuel technologies, Electric Road Systems (ERS), and the engineering associated with these. • Real-time and predictive passenger information systems, real-time arrival systems, next departure systems, incident management and control systems, Traffic/transport Management Centres. • Transport Strategies, local transport plans, sustainable urban redevelopment, mobility hubs, integrated transport plans.