An Urban Toll Ring as a Financial Instrument for better Public Transport the Oslo Experience

Transcription

1 It takes two to tango: An Urban Toll Ring as a Financial Instrument for better Public Transport the Oslo Experience Oslo City Hall Boca, Argentina 2002 Kristian Waersted, Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Oslo, Norway UITP World Conference Geneva 27 May 2013

2 Road tolling in Norway 75 years experience and >100 projects Average duration 15 years -> 50 current projects EasyGo Road toll Ferry Urban toll systems for the last 27 years, 8 today Bergen 1986, Oslo 1990 (ETC), Trondheim 1991 (ETC) World s first ETC system in 1989 AutoPASS (5.8 GHz) 1999 Norway Point payment only Open Road Tolling (ORT) since 2004 Full interoperability: Norway from 2004, DK+SE+NO from 2007 called EasyGo Sweden Denmark

3 Road tolling in Oslo 1970s: Favouring public transport (PT) car drivers should suffer 1990: Oslo Package 1: Large tunnel on E18 in the city centre and a toll ring with 19 plazas: 20% of revenues allocated to PT infrastructure 2001: Oslo Package 2: +NOK 2 on tolls earmarked for PT infrastructure and +NOK 0,75 on PT tickets earmarked for PT rolling stock 2008: Oslo Package 3: Fixed tolls, an additional toll cordon line on Oslo s western border, a new toll charge structure, ORT, 60% earmarked for PT ( ) 2012: A parliamentary decision: Expected growth in personal transport has to be addressed by PT, cycling and walking

4 Oslo Package 1 Why? 50 projects in 10 years instead of 35 years Akershus Oslo Users paid only 55% The toll ring covered all roads in three corridors 50% of Oslo s population lived inside the toll ring AADT Akershus Akershus Annual revenue: NOK 1.3 billion 10% operating cost City border Toll ring cordon line

5 2011 Public acceptance of the 24/7 toll ring in Oslo: Opinion polls have revealed negative attitudes Q2: Do you think that the Oslo toll ring is a very negative, fairly negative, fairly positive or very positive measure? E E % The Oslo toll ring opened in Feb The toll ring opened 1. Febr Year Year Oslo Package 1 Oslo Package 2 Oslo Package 3 Increase in negative attitudes in 2001 due to: 1. Introduction of Oslo Package 2: NOK 2 extra earmarked for public transport 2. Fears that the toll ring would not be removed in 2007 as planned A new increase in negative attitudes in 2007 and 2008 due to Oslo Package 3 in 2008

6 How was it possible to implement a toll scheme in Oslo in 1990 that 70% of people were against? The toll revenues would finance road and PT infrastructure Road traffic conditions were congested The big political parties agreed Bergen opened a successful toll ring in 1986 Extra State funding Low toll charges Limited collection period People who are opposed to cars like motorists having to pay 20% of the toll revenues were earmarked for public transport

7 Originally, all the Oslo toll ring plazas were attended. Here is Plaza 5 on a western arterial road (before 2/2-2008). AutoPASS: 1600 veh./hr Lanes with coin machines or attended (Manual): Approx. 300 veh./hr 40% subscribers from the very beginning was important No expansion of the total road area was needed in this toll plaza on a fourlane local arterial road

8 The Oslo toll ring was converted to ORT in 2008: Resulting in a quite new layout of the toll plazas

9 Here from the face 1 of the change to ORT, in our biggest toll plaza on the E6 from the north-east, on 2. Feb. 2008

10 New ORT toll plaza layout in Oslo E6 from north-east Due to a road split, half of the E6 traffic now passes the new ORT toll plaza shown on the left. Ring 3 from west Due to the need for a feedback signal beside every payment lane, no plaza will have more than two payment lanes in parallel without an island in between.

11 Congestion Charging (yellow lines) favouring public transport was one of the options for Oslo Package 3 Charges (light veh.) NOK 3 in both directions NOK 6 in both directions + Double charges during peak periods + Free periods in late evening and at night + Double charges for heavy vehicles City borders Toll cordon lines in 1990 was kept in 2008 Oct additional toll cordon line in Bærum, outside Oslo s western border

12 ORT challenges (the map shows Tønsberg) A right to pay in cash (Norwegian legislation) How to inform road users? Privacy See next slides Cash payment at designated service stations within three working days AutoPASS contracts with no information being stored about passing Foreign vehicles ): EPC in London

13 How to pay in an ORT ( automatic tolling ) system 1. With an AutoPASS contract and tag (ETC) 2. With a visitor s payment contract linking the vehicle s licence plate to a credit card 3. Via internet ( 4. In cash to the attendant at a designated service station 5. Via an invoice sent by post to the owner of the vehicle within 1-3 months of the first passing (not recommended for foreigners)

14 How to inform drivers about how to pay in an ORT system Advertisements and brochures News items on TV and in newspapers Listening to friends and family Autopass.no and tel TRAFFIC SIGNS (information boards included) Service stations

15 Traffic signs in Norwegian ORT systems 6 Oslo 168 2) Information 3) board in lay-by (see next slide) 1) or 6) 5) 4) 8) Service station 7)

16 ORT in Norway - pros and cons: Easy to implement + lower installation costs Better road safety, reduced delays, environmental benefits (including the aesthetic aspect) Lower operating costs (?) compulsory ETC will be beneficial Loss of revenue (foreign vehicles, unreadable video images) + delayed payment from unequipped drivers The need for a distributed information and service network Cash payment is inconvenient for drivers Privacy ): ORT is the new standard for road tolling in Norway.

17 In Norway, we have experienced a political dilemma as regards congestion charges (CC)... Conservatives trust market mechanisms except for traffic regulation - and oppose congestion charges! Socialists distrust market mechanisms except for traffic regulation and approve congestion charges, but do not dare to vote for them Nobody dares to focus on congestion charges before an election In Norway, we have elections every second year!

18 Thank you for your attention! For more information, please contact: Mr Kristian Wærsted Norwegian Public Roads Administration Phone: Mobile: Fax: One of Norway s highest mountains The new opera building in Oslo