Despite its highly urbanised nature, Australia has placed far more emphasis on road cost recovery than on congestion pricing. Even though there remains uncertainty about defining the extent and sources of road wear and tear, policies aimed at recovering these costs have been widely canvassed and implemented. This paper summarises some of the steps taken to understand and implement road pricing for cost recovery in Australia, and notes some of the attempts to improve its empirical basis. Congestion pricing, however, is less well developed, and has proven to be less acceptable politically. The paper describes a selection of implemented congestion pricing schemes around the world, and notes that acceptable technology for collecting such charges is now available. Wider acceptance of congestion pricing might depend on extensive community interaction. (a).
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