The Leicester Environmental Road Tolling Scheme (LERTS) was conceived as an innovative demonstration of electronic road tolling in an urban area of the UK. Sponsored by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), together with Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council, the #3.5 million scheme examined the impacts of charging for private car travel in the city of Leicester. The Demonstration operated between August 1997 and May 1998, involving a group of participants who drove regularly into the city centre in the morning peak period. In addition to the charging of private car use, a principal feature of the Demonstration was the provision of new public transport infrastructure. This "carrot and stick" approach aimed to reduce car travel and produce a modal shift by encouraging greater use of public transport. A range of road tolling scenarios was applied during the Demonstration, and a detailed evaluation made of the impacts. This paper focuses on the impacts made by the LERTS Demonstration on car travel. (A)
Abstract