Public Attitudes Towards Policy Instruments for Congestion Mitigation in Shanghai

摘要

Congestion causes many externalities for the society including time delays, excessive fuel consumption, air pollution noise and safety concerns. In Shanghai, various policy options have been explored, piloted or applied; however, not all of them may be understood and accepted by the public. A survey was conducted to investigate people’s attitudes towards several policy options. The main findings reveal that Shanghai residents are resis tant to certain policies, such as congestion charges, higher parking charges in congested areas and car restrictions. Instead, they favo public transport provisions. The paper suggests that there is a case for promoting public transport and more efficient trips when the car ownership is still low, and for investing in a policy of educat ing the public on the ‘true’ costs and causes of congestion before embarking on an intensive policy of congestion charges or restric tions.