Travel Demand Management Targeting Reduced Private Car Use: Effectiveness, Public Acceptability and Political Feasibility

Abstract

The private car is fast, comfortable, and convenient. However, worldwide massive car use causes serious environmental problems. Although breakthroughs in clean automobile technology may be under way, reducing car use seems necessary in order to achieve a sustainable transportation system. Several travel demand management (TDM) measures have therefore been proposed and some have been implemented with this aim. The article reviews research addressing the question of how effective, acceptable to the public, and politically feasible such measures are. The conclusion is that noncoercive TDM measures alone are unlikely to be effective in reducing car use. Therefore, coercive TDM measures such as increasing cost for or prohibiting car use may be necessary but are difficult to implement because of public opposition and political infeasibility. If combined with noncoercive TDM measures providing attractive travel alternatives and communicating the benefits of car-use reduction to the public, coercive TDM measures are likely to become more effective, acceptable, and politically feasible.

Effects of Pay-As-You-Drive vehicle insurance on young drivers’ speed choice: Results of a Dutch field experiment

“…In other words, participants may have seen more benefit in changing driving style (speeding) than in changing travel volume. Alternatively, one could argue that reducing travel volume also requires planning (Gärling and Schuitema, 2007), and may be experienced as more effortful and difficult than changing driving speed. In fact, when a small sample of participants was interviewed about their experiences with the experiment, most indicated that reducing mileage and avoiding nighttime driving was very difficult.…”

Shifting towards environment-friendly modes: profiling travelers using Q-methodology

“…Four types of TDM measures can be distinguished which are targeting different antecedents of travel demand, namely physical changes, legal policies, economic policies, and information and educational measures (Gärling and Schuitema 2007). The first category, physical changes, aims at increasing the relative attractiveness of alternative travel modes.…”

“…The first category, physical changes, aims at increasing the relative attractiveness of alternative travel modes. Possible measures include the improvement of public transport (more bus stops, higher frequency, more comfort), the laying of separate (priority) bus lanes, land use planning to encourage shorter travel times and technological advancements to make cars more energyefficient (Gärling and Schuitema 2007). The second category of policy measures, legal policies, tries to enforce a reduction in car use.…”

“…Despite technological advancements that make cars more environment-friendly, the externalities caused by car use remain an ecological threat that can not be discarded by policy makers (Gärling and Schuitema 2007). Therefore, it is essential that policy makers focus on reducing car use and on stimulating the shift towards more environment-friendly transport modes (Tertoolen et al 1998).…”

“…Notwithstanding, non-coercive travel demand management (TDM) measures alone are unlikely to be effective in reducing car use. Therefore coercive TDM measures such as increasing costs for or prohibiting car use may be necessary (Gärling and Schuitema 2007). Before implementing TDM measures, it is essential to understand the processes underlying people's motivation to change their travel behavior.…”