Could congestion pricing be the solution to Melbourne’s post-Covid traffic woes?

 

Tariq Munir, Could congestion pricing be the solution to Melbourne’s post-Covid traffic woes?

Winner – Swinburne University of Technology VYT local competition (2022)  

 

Transcript: 

Melbourne’s congestion is back to pre-Covid levels and is expected to increase as commuters increasingly rely on their private vehicles and reduce their usage of public transport. Traditional methods to reduce traffic congestion has met with limited success.

My research investigates the role of innovative road network pricing for managing travel demand and promoting low carbon mobility.

I am using a simulation model developed for Melbourne to test various road pricing scenarios. I have tested different pricing schemes. The findings to date shown that it is possible to achieve a reduction of 7% in traffic density, 20% in travel time, 13% in emissions as well as 3% increase in travel speed.