全国已有12省全部取消二级公路收费

2009年5月5日，交通运输部公布第一批和第二批取消政府还贷二级公路收费基本情况，共涉及12个省的1263个收费站点，公路里程7．08万公里，全国逐步有序取消政府还贷二级公路收费工作取得重大阶段性成果。     

取消二级公路收费后我国公路建设发展方向

<正>自2009年4月30日起,黑龙江、吉林、辽宁、河北、河南、湖北、湖南等7个省份相继停止政府还贷二级公路收费。至此,我国东、中部地区除广东、山西、浙江外,12个省已全都取消了政府还贷二级公路收费,共撤销站点1263个,占全国政府还贷二级公路收费站总量的65%。     

减少公路不必要收费点 须完善制度设计

<正>减少不必要的收费点,还需要一揽子的制度安排。最重要的是中央要修改"贷款修路,收费还贷"的公路建设模式,不能听任公路收费政策长生不老,继续推高物流成本与社会成本。虽说受国家财力所限,目前全面取消收费公路有困难,但是我认为,取消收费站、还原公路公益属性差钱更差决心。政府压缩过高的"三公"消费与行政经费,规范收费管理,增加交通投入,回购部分收费公路,减少收费公路站点,降低     

收费公路亟待加强政府监管

收费路处于风口浪尖 我国"贷款修路、收费还贷"政策始于1984年.这项政策的出台对于筹集公路建设资金,加快交通基础设施发展,特别是加快高等级公路发展,改善我国公路技术等级结构发挥了重要作用.资料显示,我国90%以上的高速公路、70%的一级公路和40%以上的二级公路都是依靠收费政策建设的.截至2005年底,全国已建成收费公路10万公里,约占全世界收费公路总里程的70%.     

严控取消收费后的二级路升级为一级路继续收费

为做好逐步有序取消政府还贷二级公路收费工作，巩固凋整和完善收费公路发展政策成果，交通运输部于1月24日发出通知，要求各级交通运输主管部门切实规范和严格控制将取消收费后的二级公路改建升级为一级公路继续收费。     

澳大利亚公路特许经营的特点及启示

一、澳大利亚公路特许经营的特点1.澳大利亚对收费公路广泛推行特许经营制度。澳大利亚将公路特许经营的内容概括为建设、拥有、经营、移交(BOOT),目前有多个运营及在建的BOOT项目。澳大利亚新南威尔士州和维多利亚州的收费公路基本上由政府特许私人投资的公司经营,惟一的例外是悉尼海港大桥项目。悉尼海港大桥项目自1932年建成后,一直采取政府收费还贷方式进行管理。政府通过收费还清全部贷款本息后,实行继续收费的政策,收取的费用除了用于该项目的维护与管理以外,全部用于对其他公路项目的投资。2.澳大利亚公路BOOT项目具有的特点:①…     

取消二级公路收费需过四道槛

取消政府还贷的二级公路收费政策之后，诸如人员安置、利益分配、建设融资、公路养护等诸多现实问题也摆在了政府面前。以前我国公路交通收费，主要归属地方政府。燃油税改革后，就由地方国税部门征收，进入中央国库，然后中央政府通过转移支付的方式返还给地方。     

王德荣:公路乱收费源于监管机制的缺失

在中国物流界,德高望重的王德荣先生被公认为是中国最早研究物流的专家之一。上个世纪80年代初,王德荣一个关于收费还贷的建议让中国的公路建设有效地突破了投资瓶颈,公路建设得到了飞速发展。当年向有关部门提出这个建议时,王德荣是怎么也不会想到,收费还贷的"四自公路"会衍生出这么严重的公路"三乱"现象,也决没有想到收费公路会造就这么多的亿万富翁!     

交通要闻

五部委办禁止政府还贷公路违规转让日前,交通运输部、国家发改委、财政部、监察部、国务院纠风办联合下发通知,禁止将政府还贷公路违规转让或划转成经营性公路。为此,五部委办提出四点要求:一是禁止以体制调整、资产重组、有利融资等名义,将政府还贷公路转为经营性公路,随意变更政府还贷公路属性。二是省级人民政府要结合收费公路专项清理工作确保政府还贷公路     

我国收费公路管理问题及改革建议

“贷款修路、收费还贷”政策的实施，对于筹集公路建设资金，加快交通基础设施建设，促进国民经济发展，发挥了重要作用。截止2003年底，全国共筹集公路建设资金超过8000亿元，建成收费公路14．5万公里，占世界收费公路总量的70％以上，收费站点数超过3000个。为全面了解收费公路的基本情况，积极推进价格改革，今年初，国家有关部门进行了摸底调查。     

New models for financing and managing highways: asset-based road corporations in China

The China International Engineering Consulting Corporation undertook, in 1997, the study of Viability of Asset Based Road Corporations in China as part of the World Bank's transport sector program review. The purpose was to investigate, in a case study format, road administration in China with two specific objectives: to compare (toll) road management in different provinces and to investigate the financial viability of China's toll roads.This paper shows that the three case projects studied, each having different management structures, are all financially viable given the present financing arrangements. However, should the projects be immediately subject to market interest rates and loan maturities prevailing in China today, their financial viability would be uncertain.In a broader context, the World Bank's lending program has enabled China to experiment with different kinds of toll road management structures. These models have both advantages and disadvantages and seem to fit that province's political economic environment in which they are employed. The toll roads and, especially, the impacts of the toll road management and financing arrangements on road administration present challenges to road administration rarely faced even in the developed countries. The challenges involve questions of the congruence of public good and private interest, as well as the role of planning and public accountability – all serious questions as China moves forward in development. These questions are raised in the context of the case studies.     

How much is too much for tolled road users: Toll saturation and the implications for car commuting value of travel time savings?

The current practice of forecasting the demand for new tolled roads typically assumes that car users are prepared to pay a higher toll for a shorter journey, and they will keep doing so as long as the toll cost is not higher than their current value of travel time savings. Practice ignores the possibility that there could be a point when motorists stop driving on toll roads due to a toll budget constraint. The unconstrained toll budget assumption may be valid in networks where the addition of a new toll road does not result in a binding budget constraint that car users may have for using toll roads (although it could also be invoked for existing tolled routes through a reduction in use of a tolled route). In a road network like Sydney which offers a growing number of (linked) tolled roads, the binding budget constraint may be invoked, and hence including additional toll links might in turn reduce the car users’ willingness to pay for toll roads to save the same amount of travel time. When this occurs, car users are said to reach a toll saturation point (or threshold) and begin to consider avoiding one or more toll roads. Whilst toll saturation has important implications for demand forecasting and planning of toll roads, this type of behaviour has not been explored in the literature. We investigate the influence that increasing toll outlays has on preferences of car commuters to use one or more tolled roads as the number of tolled roads increases. The Sydney metropolitan area offers a unique laboratory to test this phenomenon, with nine tolled roads currently in place and another five in planning. The evidence supports the hypothesis that the value of travel time savings decreases as a consequence of toll saturation.     

Explaining light vehicle demand evolution in interurban toll roads: a dynamic panel data analysis in Spain

Tolls have increasingly become a common mechanism to fund road projects in recent decades. Therefore, improving knowledge of demand behavior constitutes a key aspect for stakeholders dealing with the management of toll roads. However, the literature concerning demand elasticity estimates for interurban toll roads is still limited due to their relatively scarce number in the international context. Furthermore, existing research has left some aspects to be investigated, among others, the choice of GDP as the most common socioeconomic variable to explain traffic growth over time. This paper intends to determine the variables that better explain the evolution of light vehicle demand in toll roads throughout the years. To that end, we establish a dynamic panel data methodology aimed at identifying the key socioeconomic variables explaining changes in light vehicle demand over time. The results show that, despite some usefulness, GDP does not constitute the most appropriate explanatory variable, while other parameters such as employment or GDP per capita lead to more stable and consistent results. The methodology is applied to Spanish toll roads for the 1990–2011 period, which constitutes a very interesting case on variations in toll road use, as road demand has experienced a significant decrease since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008.     

Users’ perceptions and willingness to pay in interurban toll roads: identifying differences across regions from a nationwide survey in Spain

Users’ acceptability is considered one of the key drivers for the successful implementation of transport policy measures. This is especially crucial in the case of toll roads since they are financed through drivers’ contributions. Previous literature in this field has mainly focused on measuring users’ attitudes towards urban congestion pricing strategies. However limited research has been developed concerning interurban toll roads. Previous research shows that socioeconomic variables are not conclusive to explain users’ perceptions towards tolls. By contrast, other drivers such as regional differences seem to play a more important role, especially when charging conditions within the same nation greatly vary across regions. This paper analyzes regional differences in users’ attitudes within an asymmetrical distribution of the toll road network across regions. Based on a nationwide survey conducted to road users in interurban toll roads in Spain, we develop both a binomial logit and a censored regression (tobit) model to explore drivers’ perceptions and willingness to pay. The research concludes that users from regions with a more extensive tolled network generally show a more negative attitude towards charges, but not necessarily a lower willingness to pay. The paper also points out that an asymmetrical distribution of toll roads across regions may result in negative perceptions among those users perceiving to be unfairly treated when compared to citizens in other regions.     

Bayesian network-based formulation and analysis for toll road utilization supported by traffic information provision

Congestion pricing has been proposed and investigated as an effective means of optimizing traffic assignment, alleviating congestion, and enhancing traffic operation efficiencies. Meanwhile, advanced traffic information dissemination systems, such as Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS), have been developed and deployed to provide real-time, accurate, and complete network-wide traffic information to facilitate travelers’ trip plans and routing selections. Recent advances in ATIS technologies, especially telecommunication technology, allow dynamic, personalized, and multimodal traffic information to be disseminated and impact travelers’ choices of departure times, alternative routes, and travel modes in the context of congestion pricing. However, few studies were conducted to determine the impact of traffic information dissemination on toll road utilizations. In this study, the effects of the provisions of traffic information on toll road usage are investigated and analyzed based on a stated preference survey conducted in Texas. A Bayesian Network (BN)-based approach is developed to discover travelers’ opinions and preferences for toll road utilization supported by network-wide traffic information provisions. The probabilistic interdependencies among various attributes, including routing choice, departure time, traffic information dissemination mode, content, coverage, commuter demographic information, and travel patterns, are identified and their impacts on toll road usage are quantified. The results indicate that the BN model performs reasonably well in travelers’ preference classifications for toll road utilization and knowledge extraction. The BN Most Probable Explanation (MPE) measurement, probability inference and variable influence analysis results illustrate travelers using highway advisory radio and internet as their primary mode of receiving traffic information are more likely to comply with routing recommendations and use toll roads. Traffic information regarding congested roads, road hazard warnings, and accident locations is of great interest to travelers, who tend to acquire such information and use toll roads more frequently. Travel time formation for home-based trips can considerably enhance travelers’ preferences for toll road usage. Female travelers tend to seek traffic information and utilize toll roads more frequently. As expected, the information provided at both pre-trip and en-route stages can positively influence travelers’ preferences for toll road usage. The proposed methodology and research findings advance our previous study and provide insight into travelers’ behavioral tendencies concerning toll road utilization in support of traffic information dissemination.     

Tolls,Terms and Public Interest in Road Concessions Privatization: A Comparative Analysis of Recent Transactions in the USA and France

Abstract

Recent concessions in France and in the USA have resulted in a dramatic difference in the valuation placed on the toll roads; the price paid by the investors in France was 12 times current cash flow whereas investors paid 60 times current cash flow for US toll roads. In this paper, we explore two questions: what accounts for the difference in these multiples? and what are the implications with respect to the public interest? Our analysis illustrates how structural and procedural decisions made by the public owner affect the concession price. Further, the terms of the concession have direct consequences that are enjoyed or borne by the various stakeholders of the toll road.     

Toll Roads in Australia: An Overview of Characteristics and Accuracy of Demand Forecasts

Abstract

A primary motivation of this paper is to draw together, in one source, information on the nature, extent and performance of Australia's evolving toll road network which is currently spread across many disparate published and unpublished sources. This paper provides key information (e.g. length, toll rates, year opened, operator(s) and payment alternatives) on all of the fully interoperable toll roads in Australia that are present in Sydney (e.g. the M2, M4, M5, etc.), Melbourne (CityLink and EastLink) and Brisbane (the Gateway Bridge, the Logan Motorway and the Gateway Extension). Where available, we compare and discuss actual traffic levels and forecasts, revealing the sizeable gap or ‘error’ in forecasts, especially during the first year of operation. Ordinary least squares regression and panel random effects regression models are developed to identify potential sources of explanation of differences in error forecasts between the Australian toll roads at various points post the opening date. A separate analysis of a sample of toll roads in the USA was also undertaken that supports the main findings from the Australian toll road network. Key influences on errors in forecasts are the capacity of a toll road, the elapsed time that the toll road has been in place, the specific period of time in which a tolled road is introduced into the network (which influences the complexity of route options including multiple tolled routes and hence toll saturation), the length of the tolled route, the presence of cash payment and the charging regime (i.e. fixed vs. distance‐based or variable user tolls).     

Enhanced traffic information dissemination to facilitate toll road utilization: a nested logit model of a stated preference survey in Texas

This paper investigates the effects of the provision of traffic information on toll road usage based on a stated preference survey conducted in central Texas. Although many researchers have studied congestion pricing and traffic information dissemination extensively, most of them focused on the effects that these instruments individually produce on transportation system performance. Few studies have been conducted to elaborate on the impacts of traffic information dissemination on toll road utilization. In this study, 716 individuals completed a survey to measure representative public opinions and preferences for toll road usage in support of various traffic information dissemination classified by different modes, contents, and timeliness categories. A nested logit model was developed and estimated to identify the significant attributes of traffic information dissemination, traveler commuting patterns, routing behavior, and demographic characteristics, and analyze their impacts on toll road utilization. The results revealed that the travelers using dynamic message sign systems as their primary mode of receiving traffic information are more likely to choose toll roads. The potential toll road users also indicated their desire to obtain traffic information via internet. Information regarding accident locations, road hazard warnings, and congested roads is frequently sought by travelers. Furthermore, high-quality congested road information dissemination can significantly enhance travelers’ preferences of toll road usage. Specifically the study found that travelers anticipated an average travel time saving of about 11.3 min from better information; this is about 30 % of travelers’ average one-way commuting time. The mean value of the time savings was found to be about $11.82 per hour, close to ½ of the average Austin wage rate. The model specifications and result analyses provide in-depth insights in interpreting travelers’ behavioral tendencies of toll road utilization in support of traffic information. The results are also helpful to shape and develop future transportation toll system and transportation policy.     

Evolution over time of heavy vehicle volume in toll roads: A dynamic panel data to identify key explanatory variables in Spain

Improving the knowledge of demand evolution over time is a key aspect in the evaluation of transport policies and in forecasting future investment needs. It becomes even more critical for the case of toll roads, which in recent decades has become an increasingly common device to fund road projects. However, literature regarding demand elasticity estimates in toll roads is sparse and leaves some important aspects to be analyzed in greater detail. In particular, previous research on traffic analysis does not often disaggregate heavy vehicle demand from the total volume, so that the specific behavioral patterns of this traffic segment are not taken into account. Furthermore, GDP is the main socioeconomic variable most commonly chosen to explain road freight traffic growth over time. This paper seeks to determine the variables that better explain the evolution of heavy vehicle demand in toll roads over time. To that end, we present a dynamic panel data methodology aimed at identifying the key socioeconomic variables that explain the behavior of road freight traffic throughout the years. The results show that, despite the usual practice, GDP may not constitute a suitable explanatory variable for heavy vehicle demand. Rather, considering only the GDP of those sectors with a high impact on transport demand, such as construction or industry, leads to more consistent results. The methodology is applied to Spanish toll roads for the 1990–2011 period. This is an interesting case in the international context, as road freight demand has experienced an even greater reduction in Spain than elsewhere, since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008.     

Private road competition and equilibrium with traffic equilibrium constraints

Toll road competition is one of the important issues under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme, which is being encountered nowadays in many cities. When there are two or more competing firms and each firm operates a competitive toll road, their profits are interrelated due to the competitors' choices and demand inter-dependence in the network. In this paper we develop game-theoretic approaches to the study of the road network, on which multiple toll roads are operated by competitive private firms. The strategic interactions and market equilibria among the private firms are analyzed both in determining their supply (road capacity) and price (toll level) over the network. The toll road competition problems in general traffic equilibrium networks are formulated as an equilibrium program with equilibrium constraints or bi-level variational inequalities. Heuristic solution methods are proposed and their convergences are demonstrated with simple network examples. It is shown that private pricing and competition can be both profitable and welfare-improving.