Priority over pricing: lessons from Zurich on the redundancy of road pricing

This paper examines the concept of road rationing as an alternative to road pricing, i.e. the provision of unobstructed, exclusive lanes for buses and trams, augmented by automatic traffic-light signalling that provides absolute priority for public transport at intersections. The availability of segregated track will considerably augment average journey speeds for these modes. In order to provide a powerful enough incentive for peak period car users to switch modes, it is necessary that public transport provides a frequent and punctual as well as a speedy service, with sufficiently dense coverage of central city areas and the suburbs to reduce walking and waiting time significantly. The city of Zurich provides an instructive and successful illustration of the operation of road rationing, and the paper outlines the performance and main features of the so- called Zurich Model.