Towards better transport pricing and taxation in Belgium

Stef Proost and Inge Mayeres ()

Energy, Transport and Environment Working Papers Series from KU Leuven, Department of Economics - Research Group Energy, Transport and Environment

Abstract: Starting from the fundamental principles of transport pricing the paper discusses the relative merits of a number of policy measures. It is argued that in the short to medium run the discouragement of the purchase of new diesel cars is the most important environmental measure that can be taken. A further increase in the fuel efficiency is no priority. In the same time frame parking charges and a cordon toll around major cities have an important role to play, while subsidies to public transport are justified only if a number of conditions are met. A toll on trucks is mainly an interesting way to make transit traffic pay taxes, but could be less useful to control the congestion levels. In the long run prices should be based on marginal social costs. Such pricing measures should be accompanied by a well-directed use of the revenues to correct for the effects on the poorest income groups.

Keywords: Transport Pricing; transport taxes; transport externalities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 25 pages
Date: 2005-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ure
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Related works:
Journal Article: Towards better transport pricing and taxation in Belgium (2004)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ete:etewps:ete0504

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