The AKTA Road Pricing Experiment in Copenhagen

Abstract

This chapter presents the AKTA road pricing experiment in Copenhagen and its main results. Conclusions are drawn on the behavioural impacts of the different pricing schemes and the accuracy of different survey and modelling techniques. AKTA followed 500 car users equipped with a GPS-based device in their cars. The participants’ normal travel pattern was estimated using observations from a control period, after which pricing schemes (toll versus km-based) were implemented over an 8 to 12-week period. The participants earned the money they saved by changing behaviour compared to the control period. Surprisingly, it turned out that the participants’ behavioural changes were greater than expected based on prior surveys and modelling. Habits may have been expected to reduce changes, but the rather high amount of money involved (budget constraints) seems to be more important. Changes were analysed concerning the time of day, number of trips, average length of trips, costs of trips, etc. It appeared that km-based charging systems were more efficient than multi cordon-based.

Mai-Britt Herslund assisted in the work on the SP design and the interviews and Christian Würtz assisted in the work collecting and processing the GPS data. The AKTA project was primarily financed by EU’s 5^th Framework Programme and the Municipality of Copenhagen with co-funding to the research part from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The principal contractor of AKTA was the City of Copenhagen, from which Poul Sulkjær is thanked. DTU, the Danish Road Directorate and the Ministry of Transport were assistant contractors. The AKTA SP was funded by the Danish Transport Council and the remaining work on this was finalised by funds from DTU and the Danish Transport Research Institute.