Asset management through pricing

Traditionally the use of transport infrastructure is regulated by prescriptive controls. Pavement and bridge wear is controlled through limits on axle and gross weights in combination with rules about spacings within and between axle groups. This approach limits not only some forms of pavement wear, but also constrains vehicle productivity. In many cases, additional wear could be withstood by the asset, without presenting any substantive risk to the safety of road users. However this can only occur at a cost of reduced asset life or increased maintenance needs. It is these costs that are the real constraint. A system of allowing road users to choose for themselves how much road and bridge wear they will produce with an individual vehicle, and paying for the resulting costs would provide significant opportunities for the total costs of transport to be reduced. Australia is considering the introduction of a pricing system to allow the additional costs of providing additional access to be recovered from road users and returned to infrastructure managers. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E212095.