How does environmental concern influence public acceptability of congestion charging? Evidence from Beijing

Abstract

ABSTRACT As a market-based instrument of transportation demand management, congestion charge can not only effectively reduce traffic congestion, but also improve air quality. However, due to its low public acceptability, this policy only has a few urban practices. As one of the fast-growing metropolises in emerging economies that are facing both traffic congestion and industrial pollution problems, Beijing is now considering the feasibility of implementing congestion charging. Some researchers address that though people with strong environmental concerns are more prone to support congestion charges, the associations between environmental concerns and support for congestion charges are context-dependent. A survey was conducted in Beijing in 2016 to understand how the pollution context in cities of emerging economies affects these associations. We find that the acceptability in Beijing is 33%, and expected policy effects and environmental concerns are the most important impact factors. Due to the influence of the regional industrial pollution context, most residents in Beijing do not consider congestion charge to be an effective way to tackle air pollution. Under these circumstances, even if the public environmental concerns, in general, are high and congestion charges are “marketed” as environmental policies, there is no guarantee that policy support will rise.