In this article we shall discuss the factors that influence the effectiveness and acceptation of price policy from the psychological angle. According to classical economic theory, price policy is supposed to be a successful and efficient instrument for resolving traffic and transport problems. The underlying assumption is that humans are rational beings who will opt for the most practical choices and financial factors will significantly influence their behaviour. This is not always the case, though. Price policy can also have a number of important side effects: it can reduce the intrinsic desire to contribute to solutions and encourage resistance. In this way the real effects of price policy may be disappointing. As a rule, price rises are not seen as being acceptable which is why they are not easy to introduce. That is why it is so important to gain an insight into the factors that influence price policy acceptance. In this respect it is both the characteristics of policy and individual characteristics – which will be briefly highlighted in this paper – that are important. The effectiveness of policy and the acceptation of policy are not things that can be seen in isolation. On the one hand, people tend to find ineffective policy unacceptable. Furthermore, the more positive the policy consequences are for society and for motorists, the more acceptable people find them. On the other hand, policy must not be too effective since people tend to be very resistant to policies that greatly restrict their freedom of movement. (Author/publisher)
Abstract