'Local' schemes seen as key as road pricing trials make progress

This article describes the planned Road Pricing Demonstrations Project in the UK, which aims to establish the feasibility of time, distance and place (TDP) charging as a road pricing scheme. Companies are invited to bid to be part of a framework running demonstrations over the next two years. The results will support local authorities as they develop local road pricing schemes to reduce congestion. Each road user service provider (RUSP) will provide road users in the trials with a statement of hypothetical charges and may simulate collection of payment, then providing scheme owners with the hypothetical collected charges. Six basic types of demonstration are planned to examine: technical performance of road user services; road user attitudes and experiences; issues of interest to the scheme owners (local authorities); selected compliance strategies; independent assurance and verification of the RUSP and its contractor; and the certification processes. There is considerable flexibility in how the services will be demonstrated, and performance will be analysed against a range of key performance indicators. TDP charging is seen as one of a range of road pricing options and could be used to alter an existing congestion charging scheme.