This paper takes stock of scientific findings to date regarding the distributional effects of policies discouraging car use in urban areas. These policies include cordon tolls, distance-based charges, fuel taxes, parking measures and public transport subsidies.

Cities that have implemented congestion charging have experienced a range of benefits including up to 30% less traffic, reduced congestion, lower emissions, and revenue from the scheme improving transport options. This report discusses how congestion charging can become an equitable part of a decarbonised transport system in New Zealand.

This report focuses on the international experiences around congestion pricing - that is, the use of road charges that may discourage motorists to avoid travelling at peak times on busy routes.

This report shows that in the absence of proper road user pricing, congestion is becoming the new normal in New Zealand's urban centres, costing the economy billions of dollars every year.

Last week’s Grattan report, Why it’s time for congestion charging, argued that congestion charging is the most effective way to make Australia’s capital cities work better. This new report lays out a detailed, feasible, and fair congestion-charging scheme for Australia’s two biggest cities.