Behavioural change in activity-travel patterns in response to road user charging

Abstract

The problem of traffic congestion and associated externalities has become a major focus of transport policies in recent years. Legislation has been passed recently in the United Kingdom to empower local authorities to implement road-user charging. This study investigates the effect of a hypothetical road-user charging scheme in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Previous studies tend to focus on measuring users' willingness to pay, often neglecting the subsequent impact on activity schedules. This paper focuses on how participants adapt not only their travel behaviour but also their activity participation and rescheduling patterns. Results suggest that the scheme is effective in reducing car use during peak times in the city but that overall activity participation remains largely unchanged.