Acceptance tendencies and commuters′ behavior under different road pricing schemes

Road pricing, as one of the transportation demand management strategies, aims to influence people's long-term travel behavior through economical means. Under this strategy, reduction in traffic volumes is expected by applying charges to private mode users at times and places when and where congestion occurs. As a result, urban congestion can be relieved and traffic flows can be more evenly distributed to alternative modes, routes or times. In this paper, three road pricing schemes: fixed pricing, credit-based pricing, and differential pricing (peak and off peak), proposed or implemented in different countries, are investigated. A computer-aided survey was conducted at two locations in Taiwan to obtain commuters' socioeconomic characteristics, travel characteristics, attitudes on different schemes, and attitudes on incentive alternatives on different road pricing schemes. The data was then used to investigate the important and significant attributes that may affect the acceptance of different road pricing schemes and the travel behavior of car/motorcycle commuters in an Asian context. The results of this study can provide valuable insights into road pricing strategies to be regulated and implemented in the future.