Vehicle restriction scheme
Vehicle restriction policies in urban areas set a "cordon" blocking an area – usually the city centre – for a subset of the vehicle fleet for specific time periods, to reduce congestion, increase traffic speeds and/or reduce pollution.
Vehicle restriction policies may apply only during peak traffic periods or for a full day: a specific day or specific days during a week. Sometimes, they may be implemented only on days that are identified as "critical" from an environmental perspective. Vehicle restriction policies often have rules based on the last digit of the vehicle's licence plate. Vehicle restriction schemes are similar to low-emission zones, which usually restrict access to vehicles that meet a certain emissions standard.
CO2 reductions from vehicle restriction policies come from reduced traffic and congestion during the time when the restriction is in place. Depending on the design of the scheme, a decrease of private vehicle travel of about 5-10% can be expected.
Usually peak-hour vehicle restriction schemes have fewer side effects regarding increased vehicle ownership levels, where users can choose between different cars during times of access restrictions. However, their effects are typically smaller since commuting patterns may shift to different times, rather than to cleaner modes, to avoid the times of restrictions.
In general, CO2 benefits are not seen to be substantial, especially if restriction schemes are not introduced in combination with other measures that encourage the use of cleaner vehicles and/or a mode shift.
Costs for vehicle restriction schemes are related to the administrative planning and implementation of the schemes, as well as their monitoring and enforcement. Such costs may be offset by fines collected from offenders.
Potentially reduced congestion levels resulting from such schemes can lead to reduced air pollution levels and time gains, ultimately contributing to productivity and GDP increases for the concerned area (especially where rebound effects, i.e. an increase in travel demand thanks to reduced congestion levels, can be avoided).
Vehicle restriction schemes may:
- Increase vehicle fleet size and age, since people might decide to have multiple cars to avoid the scheme.
- Cause inequity by affecting low-income groups comparatively more than high-income groups. High-income groups are more like to have access to vehicles with different licence plate numbers to circumvent the restriction scheme.
Lead to increased vehicle movement during hours when the scheme is not in effect or to displacement of traffic to streets where restrictions do not apply.
ITF (2021) Transport Climate Action Directory – Vehicle restriction scheme
https://www.itf-oecd.org/policy/vehicle-restriction-scheme
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