European inter-urban toll roads.

In 1987 the OECD published a report entitled "Toll financing and private sector involvement in road infrastructure development" (see IRRD 294369). This report concluded that toll financing was a viable alternative to other methods of financing road construction and/ or maintenance that should be considered by governments as a funding source for these vital improvements. The British Government's consultation paper entitled "New roads by new means" (see IRRD 828324) published in May 1989, proposed new procedures for authorising privately financed roads. In this context it was considered appropriate to examine the European tolled road network and review the decision framework on which such inter-urban roads had been introduced. The Department of Transport commissioned Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick to carry out a review of the European Tolled road network. This paper presents a summary of the consultants' findings. Following a brief description of the European Motorway Network and the Concession System Concept, the paper sets out the European experience under the headings: background, policy, organisation, finance, system characteristics, traffic, procedures and public attitudes.