PAPER NO.: 12-0525 EQUITY IMPLICATIONS OF PARKING TAXES

摘要

While a considerable amount of research has been conducted into the economic benefits of variouscongestion pricing measures—including parking taxes—there has been a comparatively smaller focus onthe equity implications of such initiatives. However, as the policy debate shifts from the theoreticalbenefits of congestion pricing to the acceptability issues associated with the implementation of thesemeasures, concerns regarding the equity of various proposals are increasingly being raised. This paperstarts with an overview of the Melbourne congestion levy, which was introduced in 2006 on off-streetparking spaces within the inner city. The paper subsequently defines what equity means in the context ofcongestion pricing generally and reviews previous empirical findings on the equity issues associated withparking taxes. The paper then explores the extent to which the Melbourne congestion levy can beconsidered equitable, and considers whether the tax may, inadvertently, be disadvantaging certain groups.The paper finds that a significant proportion of drivers who are contributing to the congestion problemeither do not pay the congestion levy or have their parking costs, including the cost of the levy, paid forby their employer. These findings raise both horizontal and vertical equity concerns.