A Systematic Review of the Role of Road Network Pricing in Shaping Sustainable Cities: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for a Post-Pandemic World

Tariq Munir, Hussein Dia and Hadi Ghaderi
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Tariq Munir: Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia
Hussein Dia: Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia
Hadi Ghaderi: Department of Business Technology and Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 21, 1-20

Abstract: The growing number of studies on road network pricing requires adoption of systematic methodologies to assess research outcomes and provide an unbiased summary of research findings and lessons learned. This paper aims to identify and analyse primary studies related to a set of research questions on road network pricing that primarily address the effectiveness of road network pricing as a travel demand management strategy. The paper achieves this by consolidating the fragmented evidence on the topic and identifying the role of transport pricing in steering our post-pandemic cities on a path of sustainable urban mobility. The paper uses a reliable and auditable systematic approach to examine past and current research trends, resulting in a rational assessment of the role and impacts of road network pricing as a travel demand management strategy. The paper achieves this by performing a bibliometric citation analysis that identifies 105 articles of valuable research contributions that represent fundamental knowledge in the development of research covering the period between 2007 and 2020. Importantly, the review identifies four main research themes in the literature, namely implementation impacts, innovations in technology, acceptability, and modelling methodologies for determining impacts, that are core elements of the research effort on the travel demand management and sustainability aspects of road pricing. Inductive reasoning is then used to address emerging issues, applications, and the effects of road network pricing in reducing congestion and enhancing urban centre environmental quality. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy directions for overcoming barriers to the implementation of road network pricing as an effective strategy for addressing modern-day urban mobility challenges such as rising urban populations, emissions, and pollution particularly amid and post COVID-19. Finally, the paper provides a roadmap of future research opportunities that can heighten the role of road network pricing in shaping the directions of sustainable urban transport policies and strategies.

Keywords: road network pricing; congestion charging; travel demand management; transport taxation; transport policy; sustainable transport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:12048-:d:669590

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