User charges for freight transport : impacts on transport, public spendings and on economic welfare. In recent months, ECORYS has analysed in two studies the impact of user charges for freight transport. One study analysed the impacts of a user charge, based on the maintenance costs of infrastructure, for freight transport. Another study analysed the impacts of a charge, comparable with the present Maut in Germany, for road transport. ECORYS calculated the impacts on transport, public spendings and the economy in both studies. For this purpose a specific multimodal freight transport model has been developed. In this paper this model and the outcomes of both studies are described. With regard to the impacts on transport the main lesson of both studies is that it is relatively insensible for charges. Both studies show a relative low impact on the model split and on the total amount of freight, although in both studies the costs of freight transport increase significantly. From a welfare-economic point-of-view it is remarkable that both charges are paid to a large extent by foreign shippers and transportation companies, thus resulting in important welfare gains for The Netherlands. Both user charges result in the end in positive economic benefits and an increase of government revenues. The paper concludes that these positive results should be an incentive for the Dutch government to proceed with the implementation with a system of pricing. (Author/publisher)
Abstract