Should road pricing be introduced to deter a car led recovery from Covid and encourage a shift towards public and active travel? No

摘要

Road pricing should not be introduced following Covid, because significant changes in travel patterns have already occurred during the pandemic. Building on these changes is an opportunity to deter a car led recovery. The most significant change since March 2020 is the increase in working from home. Although clearly not possible for some groups of employees such as hospital staff, many people will have seen their desk replaced by a laptop on the kitchen table. And they will have seen the benefit of a marked reduction in travel costs and time spent commuting.