Market- and non-market-based approaches to traffic-related pollution: the perception of key stakeholders

Market-based instruments have long been advocated on efficiency and welfare grounds, particularly by academics as a means of dealing with congestion and traffic-related pollution in urban areas. This paper details a survey of key UK stakeholders, namely local politicians, local transport officials and UK transport academics undertaken in order to ascertain their opinions with respect to a range of market- and non-market-based approaches aimed at dealing with the effects of road traffic in urban areas of the UK. The findings deal with how effective the key stakeholders perceive various market- and non-market based approaches to be as part of a package of measures, in dealing with the problem. The paper also details opinion with respect to acceptance of such measures and highlights areas of commonality between effectiveness and the acceptance of these measures. Finally, the paper draws a number of conclusions.