Transport Thematic Group event
Road pricing mechanisms—including vignettes, tolls, and congestion charges—support various policy objectives, from traditional goals like cost recovery and traffic management to more nuanced aims such as internalizing externalities and allocating toll revenue for public transport and other sustainable mobility solutions. However, implementing these schemes poses complex challenges requiring careful assessment. Road pricing impacts both efficiency and equity, affecting road users and non-users alike. While many roads remain toll-free, tolls are increasingly applied in interurban, urban, and metropolitan areas worldwide. To facilitate implementation, governments are adopting advanced approaches and charging technologies, resulting in sophisticated systems like the latest variable pricing models seen in the European Union. Understanding the impacts of different schemes and technological solutions, and evaluating their alignment with policy objectives, is crucial for successful implementation. Comparing various tolling practices can provide valuable insights for public decision-makers developing transportation policies that support sustainable mobility.
On Thursday, January 16, 2025, we are honored to welcome Prof. Jose Manuel Vassallo and Mr. Daniel Benitez, who will present an overview of road pricing frameworks and share evidence from select case studies. Their presentation will explore the relationships between road pricing, social equity, and externality objectives, along with potential implementation challenges of different schemes. They will also present their recommendations for decision-makers to select the most suitable policies and investments.
Prof. Jose Manuel Vassallo is a distinguished professor in the field of transportation economics and infrastructure at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain. With a specialization in road pricing, public-private partnerships, and sustainable transport policies, he has contributed extensively to research on the economic and social impacts of transportation systems. Prof. Vassallo has collaborated with numerous international organizations and government bodies, providing expert guidance on infrastructure financing, cost-benefit analysis, and equity considerations in transport policy. Prof. Vassallo has a Ph.D. from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and was Visiting Scholar in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Mr. Daniel Benitez is a Global Lead at the World Bank Transport Global Unit on private and climate finance. He specialized in infrastructure economics and policy working across multiple regions, advising governments on infrastructure financing, regulatory frameworks, and transport sector reforms. He has authored several publications on mobilization of commercial financing for public-private partnerships and climate finance to decarbonize transportation. He also specialized in general equilibrium analysis assessing the effects of large privatization and concession programs in infrastructure. Mr. Benitez hold a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Toulouse, France.
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In-Person (MC 1-860 – 1818 Society conference room)
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