HO25A - Surface Transport Costs and Charges
Overview
Background & policy context:
This research project has examined at more comprehensive and detailed level than most previous studies, the average and marginal social costs of road and rail transport. These estimates are compared with payments, mainly through rail fares and fuel tax, made by transport users. The study uses the DETR's traffic database and estimates of speed by road type, area type and time of day to derive estimates of congestion costs. Using previous studies carried out by the consultants and values from a range of sources, estimates of the environmental costs of road and rail traffic have been added to the track and congestion cost calculations.
Objectives:
This project follows a recommendation in the 1999 SACTRA Report, Transport and the Economy. This recommendation stated that the Department should move towards providing official estimates of the relationship between the prices and marginal social costs in different classes of journey. It estimates the costs of each of the main modes of surface transport in the UK, including track costs, congestion costs, environmental costs and an element of accident costs. It also assesses the extent to which costs, both at marginal and aggregate levels, are covered by payments made by users.
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