Since the economic theory of road pricing was first established about three decades ago, its application in society has been the cause of deep controversy in many cities plagued with traffic problems. In most cases, with the exception of a very few cities such as Singapore, road pricing has not been introduced. What difficulties exist to counter-balance the known benefits indicated by the theory? Why do some cities succeed in its introduction when most fail? In order to answer these questions, this paper reviews political controversies in several cities and clarifies the dynamics where social decision, either for or against road pricing, was made. Japanese Ministry of Construction and OECD/Road Transport Research Programme held the seminar on "future road transport systems and infrastructures in urban areas" in Chiba, Japan on 4th - 6th June 1991 sponsored by the Japanese organizing committee.
Abstract