2013 - Implementing Road User Charging

Road user charging is used by governments and road agencies for two main reasons: (i) revenue generation to finance infrastructure and maintenance or other priorities, and (ii) demand management in order to curb congestion, and improve the environment. As budgets for highway agencies around the world have come under pressure at the same time as traffic demand is increasing and clogging up more city street space, more and more countries are looking at the option of charging road users to help address their current challenges.

This paper was prepared as a discussion document to summarize some of the recent experiences with Road User Charging (RUC) and to give some preliminary guidance to road agencies and governments considering adopting RUC. The main target audience is therefore the officials and policy makers involved in the management and financing of road infrastructure in client countries. The secondary audience is Bank staff involved in transport policy dialogue and other interested stakeholders. The paper should be read in conjunction with the recent Transport Note ‘Planning and Implementation of Road Use Charging’.