The
Stockholm congestion tax , also found referred to as the
Stockholm congestion charge, is a
congestion pricingCongestion pricing or congestion charges is a system of surcharging users of a transport network in periods of peak demand to reduce traffic congestion. Examples include some toll-like road pricing fees, and higher peak charges for utilities, public transport and slots in canals and airports...
system implemented as a
taxTo tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law.Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
which is levied on most vehicles entering and exiting central
Stockholm' is the capital and largest city of Sweden. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the Riksdag , and the official residence of the Swedish Monarch as well as the prime minister. The Monarch resides at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm since 1980 and uses the Royal Palace of...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
. The congestion tax was implemented on a permanent basis on August 1, 2007, after a seven-month trial period between January 3, 2006 and July 31, 2006.
The primary purpose of the congestion tax is to reduce
traffic congestionTraffic congestion is a condition on networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction between vehicles...
and improve the
environmentalThe natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof....
situation in central Stockholm. The funds collected will be used for new road constructions in and around Stockholm.
A referendum was held in September 2006 a couple months after the end of the trial period. In the referendum the residents of Stockholm municipality voted yes and in 14 other municipalities voted no to implement it permanently. On October 1, 2006, the leaders of the winning parties in the
2006 general electionA general election was held in Sweden on September 17, 2006, to elect members to the Swedish parliament. All 349 seats were up for election: 310 "fixed seats" in 29 constituencies and 39 members at a national level for what are called "adjustment seats", used to ensure that parties have...
, declared they would implement the Stockholm congestion tax permanently. The
parliamentThe Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
approved this on June 20, 2007, and the congestion tax came into effect on August 1, 2007.
Affected area
The congestion tax area encompasses essentially the entire
Stockholm City CentreStockholm City Centre is the city centre of Stockholm in Sweden. The entire city of Stockholm is also the centre of the Stockholm Metropolitan Area....
, which includes
SödermalmSödermalm, often shortened to "Söder", is a district in central Stockholm. It covers the large island formerly called "Åsön". With a population of 99 685, it is one of the most densely populated districts of Scandinavia...
, Norrmalm,
ÖstermalmÖstermalm is a 2.56 km² large district in central Stockholm, Sweden. With 36,636 inhabitants it is one of the most populous districts in Stockholm. It is a wealthy area, having the highest housing prices in Sweden.- History :...
,
VasastadenVasastaden, or colloquially Vasastan, is a 3.00 km² large city district in central Stockholm, Sweden. With 51,661 inhabitants it is the second most populous, as well as the second most densely populated district in Stockholm.The major parks in Vasastaden are Vasaparken and Observatorielunden...
,
KungsholmenKungsholmen is an island in Lake Mälaren in Sweden, part of Stockholm City. It is situated north of Riddarfjärden and considered part of the historical province Uppland....
,
Stora EssingenStora Essingen is an island and a district in the Kungsholmen borough in Stockholm, Sweden. The Essingeleden motorway, part of European route E4 passes along a section of the eastern shore...
,
Lilla EssingenLilla Essingen is a small island in central Stockholm, Sweden, next to the larger neighbouring island Stora Essingen.Both Essingen islands are mainly residential areas, the smaller densely packed with blocks of flats while the larger is scattered with villas...
and
DjurgårdenDjurgården or, more officially, Kungliga Djurgården is an island in central Stockholm. Djurgården is home to historical buildings and monuments, museums, galleries, the amusement park Gröna Lund, the open air museum Skansen, the small residential area Djurgårdsstaden, yacht harbours, and...
.
There are unmanned electronic control points (in Swedish: , literally
payment station) at all entrances to this area. The congestion tax is applied on both entry and exit of the affected area.
Amount of tax to pay
The amount of tax payable depends on what time of the day a motorist enters or exits the congestion tax area. There is no charge on Saturdays, Sundays,
public holidaysAll official holidays in Sweden are established by acts of Parliament. The official holidays can be divided into Christian and non-Christian holidays. The main Christian holidays are Jul , Trettondedag jul , Påsk , Kristi himmelsfärds dag , Pingstdagen and Alla helgons dag...
or the day before public holidays, nor during nights (18:30 – 06:29), nor during the month of July. The maximum amount of tax per vehicle per day is 60
SEKThe krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. It is locally abbreviated kr. The plural form is kronor and one krona is subdivided into 100 öre . The currency is sometimes informally referred to as the "Swedish crown" in English...
(6.34
EURThe euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...
, 9.85
USDThe United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
).
| Time of day | Tax | In other currencies¹ |
|---|
| 00:00 – 06:29 |
0 SEK |
|
| 06:30 – 06:59 |
10 SEK |
1.06 EUR, 1.64 USD |
| 07:00 – 07:29 |
15 SEK |
1.59 EUR, 2.46 USD |
| 07:30 – 08:29 |
20 SEK |
2.11 EUR, 3.28 USD |
| 08:30 – 08:59 |
15 SEK |
|
| 09:00 – 15:29 |
10 SEK |
|
| 15:30 – 15:59 |
15 SEK |
|
| 16:00 – 17:29 |
20 SEK |
|
| 17:30 – 17:59 |
15 SEK |
|
| 18:00 – 18:29 |
10 SEK |
|
| 18:30 – 23:59 |
0 SEK |
|
1/ Tax amount shown in other currencies for comparative purposes. Currency rates as of August 3, 2008.
Method of payment
Payment of the congestion tax cannot be made at the control points — they merely register which vehicles have passed them. A
billA bill is a document requesting payment for an order previously supplied. Presentation of a bill is common practice on the part of restaurants, credit card companies, utilities, and other service providers...
is sent to the vehicle owner at the end of each month, with the tax decisions for the preceding month's control point passages. The bill must be paid before the end of the next month. The vehicle owner is responsible for the payment of the tax, even if the bill does not arrive.
The bill can be delivered in three different ways. By default delivery by mail to the vehicle owner's
registered addressPopulation registration in Sweden is the civil registration of vital events of the inhabitants of Sweden. The data is kept in the population registry and is administered by the Swedish Tax Agency...
, or opting for electronic delivery to the vehicle owner's
Internet bankOnline banking allows customers to conduct financial transactions on a secure website operated by their retail or virtual bank, credit union or building society.-Features :...
, or opting for a
direct debitA direct debit or direct withdrawal is an instruction that a bank account holder gives to his or her bank to collect an amount directly from another account. It is similar to a direct deposit but initiated by the beneficiary....
arrangement called
Autogiro which allows the tax to be automatically deducted from the vehicle owner's bank account when the bill is due.
Failure to pay the tax within the allotted time results in a reminder bill being sent with an added 500
SEKThe krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. It is locally abbreviated kr. The plural form is kronor and one krona is subdivided into 100 öre . The currency is sometimes informally referred to as the "Swedish crown" in English...
fee. If the tax along with the reminder fee is still unpaid within 30 days after the reminder bill was sent, the case will be forwarded to the
Swedish Enforcement AdministrationThe Swedish Enforcement Administration , is a government agency handling all debt collection in Sweden....
which adds an additional fee of at least 600 SEK, and the vehicle owner will be noted in the Enforcement Register unless payment is made.
Tax deductibility
The congestion tax is
deductibleA tax deduction or a tax-deductible expense affects a taxpayer's income tax. A tax deduction represents an expense incurred by a taxpayer. They are variable amounts that you can subtract, or deduct, from your gross income.It is subtracted from gross income when the taxpayer computes his or her...
for both private individuals and businesses. Private individuals may deduct the congestion tax for business journeys, and for traveling between the home and workplace according to the usual rules of car cost deduction (1:80 SEK/km), that is the distance is at least and the time saved by traveling by own car compared to public transport is at least 2 hours per day. Businesses may deduct all congestion tax expenses.
Exempt vehicles
Some classes of vehicles are exempt from the congestion tax:
- Emergency services vehicles
- Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
es with a total weight of at least 14 tonneA tonne or metric ton , also referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to , or approximately the mass of one cubic metre of water. It is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with the SI...
s
- Diplomatic corps
The diplomatic corps or corps diplomatique is the collective body of foreign diplomats accredited to a particular country or body.The diplomatic corps may, in certain contexts, refer to the collection of accredited heads of mission who represent their countries in another state or country...
registered vehicles
- Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are the most affordable form of...
s
- Foreign-registered vehicles
- Military vehicles
- Cars that according to the Swedish Road Administration
The Swedish Road Administration is a government agency in Sweden. Its primary responsibility is to organise building and maintenance of the road network in Sweden.Its headquarters are located in Borlänge....
's vehicle registry are equipped for propulsion with entirely or partially with electricity, or other fuel gasFuel gas can refer to any of several gases burned to produce thermal energy.Natural gas is the most common fuel gas, but others include:* Town gas* Syngas* Mond gas* Propane* Butane* Regasified liquified petroleum gas* Wood gas* Producer gas...
than liquefied petroleum gas, or with a fuel mixture that predominantly consists of alcoholAlthough fossil fuels have become the dominant energy resource for the modern world, alcohol has been used as a fuel throughout history. The first four aliphatic alcohols are of interest as fuels because they can be synthesized biologically, and they have characteristics which allow them to be...
. This exemption is valid only until July 31, 2012.
- Cars with parking permit for disabled persons, after application to the Swedish National Tax Board. This exemption is not valid if the car is used for professional purposes.
Geographic exemptions
As the island
LidingöLidingö is an island in the inner Stockholm archipelago, north east of central Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. It is also a locality on the island, and the seat of Lidingö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 30,357 inhabitants in 2005....
has its only access to the mainland through the congestion tax affected area, all traffic to and from Lidingö to and from the rest of the
Stockholm CountyStockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Uppsala and Södermanland. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
is exempt from the tax, provided that one passes one of the
RopstenRopsten is a cape at the eastern part of Stockholm mainland at the inner part of Stockholm archipelago in Sweden. Two bridges named Lidingöbron extend from Ropsten over to the island of Lidingö. Ropsten area is located between Hjorthagen and the Stockholm city main port Värtahamnen...
control points (located at Gasverksvägen, Lidingövägen, and Norra Hamnvägen) and some other control point within 30 minutes of each other.
The
EssingeledenEssingeleden is a motorway that goes from Solna to Stockholm, Sweden, crossing the westmost parts of central Stockholm, by going over Kungsholmen, Lilla Essingen, and Stora Essingen....
motorway, part of
European route E4European route E 4 passes from north to south through Sweden from the border with Finland, total length . The Finnish part lies entirely within Tornio in northern Finland, and is actually only long...
, that goes through the congestion tax affected area is also exempt, as it is the main route by-passing central Stockholm with no other viable alternatives present in the vicinity. All exits and entrances of Essingeleden that are within the congestion tax area have control points placed at them.
Technology
The vehicles passing the control points are identified through
automatic number plate recognitionAutomatic number plate recognition is a mass surveillance method that uses optical character recognition on images to read the licence plates on vehicles. As of 2006, systems can scan number plates at around one per second on cars traveling up to...
. The equipment, consisting of cameras, laser detectors, antennas, and information signs are mounted on a set of
gantriesA gantry is a traffic sign assembly in which signs are mounted on an overhead support.Gantries are usually built on high-traffic roads or routes with several lanes, where signs posted on the side of the highway would be hard to see for drivers. Gantries may be cantilevered or one sided , or they...
at each control point.
There are no payment booths at the control points, they are all unmanned and payment is done by other means later (see
Method of payment above). At a traditional toll booth, a substantial percentage of the toll goes to costs for the staff, which is avoided here.
For those living on the island of
LidingöLidingö is an island in the inner Stockholm archipelago, north east of central Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. It is also a locality on the island, and the seat of Lidingö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 30,357 inhabitants in 2005....
or otherwise often traveling there, an optional
DSRCDedicated short-range communications are one-way or two-way short- to medium-range wireless communication channels specifically designed for automotive use and a corresponding set of protocols and standards....
transponderIn telecommunication, the term transponder has the following meanings:...
can be used also to more accurately identify the vehicles, as an incorrect identification results in the Lidingö exemption rule not taking effect (see
Geographic exemptions above). The DSRC transponders that were used during the congestion tax trial period are useless now and should be returned to the
Swedish Road AdministrationThe Swedish Road Administration is a government agency in Sweden. Its primary responsibility is to organise building and maintenance of the road network in Sweden.Its headquarters are located in Borlänge....
.
Debate
The congestion tax was before its inception a highly debated proposition, especially in the peripheral parts of Stockholm county where residents who lived outside of the control points but worked in the city center argued that they should also have a say in whether the proposition was to be accepted. In the time since the control points were put in place, however, the debate has calmed down considerably as the system works smoothly and the actual cost of passing these stations is acceptable to most residents, as well as the fact that central Stockholm has been getting cleaner since the proposition went into action.
The debate has instead in many instances shifted toward the political reasons behind the proposition, where some argue that the proposition is simply a way to punish the residents of Stockholm for the centralized Swedish political system, which reportedly many people in rural parts of Sweden feel favours Stockholm above other regions.
Initially this was planned as a congestion
feeA fee is the price one pays as remuneration for services, especially the honorarium paid to a doctor, lawyer, consultant, or other member of a learned profession...
, not a
taxTo tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law.Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
. But the Swedish government ruled that this kind of endeavor was considered a tax and not a fee, and thus this was made a governmental tax, not a local tax, as municipalities in Sweden are not allowed to create new taxes.
Trial period
A seven-month trial period of the congestion tax , called
The Stockholm trials , took place between January 3, 2006 and July 31, 2006. In addition to the optical recognition of license plates,
DSRCDedicated short-range communications are one-way or two-way short- to medium-range wireless communication channels specifically designed for automotive use and a corresponding set of protocols and standards....
transponders were used to identify vehicles, and opting to use one was a precondition for using direct debit for the payment of the tax.
The Road Administration have claimed that traffic passing in and out of the cordon reduced by between 20 and 25% during the period of the trial, and that air quality improved; after the trial, traffic volumes built up again. 96% complied with paying the tax on time, which raised 399 m SEK during the period.
Referendum
Local consultative
referendumA referendum , ballot question, or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal...
s regarding whether to permanently implement the congestion tax were held in
Stockholm MunicipalityStockholm Municipality or the City of Stockholm is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It is the largest of the 290 municipalities of the country in terms of population, but one of the smaller in terms of area, making it the most densely populated...
and several other municipalities in
Stockholm CountyStockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Uppsala and Södermanland. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
on September 17, 2006.
It was only the referendum in Stockholm Municipality that the at the time reigning government would use as a basis for the decision.
The municipalities surrounding Stockholm in
Stockholm CountyStockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Uppsala and Södermanland. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
, especially those which are part of the
Stockholm urban areaThe Stockholm urban area is the largest and most populous of the statistical localities or urban areas in Sweden. It has no administrative function of its own, but constitutes a continuous multimunicipal built-up area, which extends into 11 municipalities in Stockholm County. It contains the...
, showed discontent with the fact that the people of those municipalities get no say whether the congestion taxes will be implemented permanently. A substantial number of the inhabitants of the nearby municipalities travel to and from work through the congestion tax area. Therefore several of these municipalities decided also to have local referendums. A municipality is allowed to hold a consultative referendum at any time, but as the congestion tax had to be decided at the national parliament level it was unclear how the results would be interpreted if the government there changed after the
2006 general electionA general election was held in Sweden on September 17, 2006, to elect members to the Swedish parliament. All 349 seats were up for election: 310 "fixed seats" in 29 constituencies and 39 members at a national level for what are called "adjustment seats", used to ensure that parties have...
which was held the same day as these referendums were held.
The question asked on the ballots were in Stockholm (translated from Swedish):
http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%C3%A4ngselskatt_i_Stockholm#F.C3.B6rdelning_och_demokrati
Environmental fees/congestion tax means that fees will be charged in road traffic with the purpose to reduce queuing and improve the environment. The incomes will be returned to the Stockholm region for investments in public transport and roads.
In the other municipalities the question on the ballots were (translated from Swedish):
Do you believe that congestion tax should be permanently introduced in Stockholm ?
Results
Results from the referendums. The figures and percentages do not include blank and invalid votes.
| Municipality |
Votes |
| # |
Yes |
No |
DanderydDanderyd Municipality is a municipality just north of Stockholm in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It is one of the smallest municipalities of Sweden, but the most affluent...
|
16,962 |
32.5% |
67.5% |
EkeröEkerö Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. The name comes from the island Ekerö, and literally means "Oak Island". Its seat is located in the town of Ekerö....
|
13,528 |
39.9% |
60.1% |
| Haninge Haninge Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in Handen.Haninge Municipality was formed in 1971 when Västerhaninge and Österhaninge were united....
|
37,548 |
40.8% |
59.2% |
| Lidingö Lidingö Municipality is a municipality just east of Stockholm in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Lidingö...
|
24,926 |
29.6% |
70.4% |
| Nacka Nacka Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in Nacka. The municipality is situated just east of the capital Stockholm and the western parts are considered a suburban part of the Stockholm urban area.The present municipality was created in...
|
44,785 |
42.9% |
57.1% |
| Nynäshamn Nynäshamn Municipality Nynäshamn Municipality (Nynäshamns kommun) Nynäshamn Municipality (Nynäshamns kommun) (is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Nynäshamn....
|
12,588 |
41.2% |
58.8% |
SalemSalem Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. The name traces its origins from Slaem in the 16th century, but was later changed to Salem, the Biblical name of Jerusalem...
|
7,563 |
39.6% |
60.4% |
SollentunaSollentuna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in Sollentuna....
|
32,409 |
40.8% |
59.2% |
SolnaSolna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, located just north of the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the city of Solna....
|
35,598 |
43.9% |
56.1% |
StockholmStockholm Municipality or the City of Stockholm is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It is the largest of the 290 municipalities of the country in terms of population, but one of the smaller in terms of area, making it the most densely populated...
|
458,786 |
53.0% |
47.0% |
TyresöTyresö Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Its seat is located in Bollmora.Most of Tyresö Municipality lies within the Stockholm urban area.-History:...
|
22,526 |
44.3% |
55.7% |
TäbyTäby Municipality is a municipality north of Stockholm in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Täby...
|
35,630 |
34.2% |
65.8% |
VallentunaVallentuna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Vallentuna.The current municipality was established as a result of the municipal reform of 1971...
|
14,884 |
42.5% |
57.5% |
VaxholmVaxholm Municipality is a municipality within Stockholm archipelago in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. The municipal slogan is "Vaxholm – the capital of the archipelago", due to its central location in the archipelago...
|
5,699 |
45.9% |
54.1% |
| Österåker Österåker Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Åkersberga, with a population of 26,727 ....
|
20,140 |
40.9% |
59.1% |
| Total excluding Stockholm |
324,786 |
39.8% |
60.2% |
| Total |
783,572 |
47.5% |
52.5% |
Interpretation of the results
Prior to, and a short while after, the election day it was not clear how big of an effect the results of the municipal referendums would have, especially for the referendums held in the municipalities other than Stockholm.
The
Social DemocraticThe Swedish Social Democratic Party, , contests elections as 'Labour' Party - Social Democrats' , commonly referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' or colloquially 'the Socials' ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden...
government prior to the
2006 general electionA general election was held in Sweden on September 17, 2006, to elect members to the Swedish parliament. All 349 seats were up for election: 310 "fixed seats" in 29 constituencies and 39 members at a national level for what are called "adjustment seats", used to ensure that parties have...
(
cabinet PerssonGöran Persson served as Prime Minister of Sweden between March 22, 1996 and October 6, 2006. Persson took over after Ingvar Carlsson, who retired as party leader and Prime Minister...
) stated that they would only take into consideration the results of the referendum held in Stockholm Municipality, while the opposition parties (
Alliance for SwedenAlliance for Sweden is a political alliance in Sweden. It consists of the four centre-right parties in the Riksdag. Although it was formed while in opposition, it achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006, forming the current coalition government.- Members of the Alliance...
) stated that they would take into consideration the results of referendums the other municipalities as well if they won the election.
The opposition parties won the election and before they formed government (
cabinet ReinfeldtThe cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt is the current cabinet of Sweden. It is a coalition cabinet consisting of the four parties in the centre-right Alliance for Sweden: the Moderate Party, Centre Party, Liberal People's Party and the Christian Democrats...
) their party leaders announced on October 1, 2006 to implement the congestion tax permanently, and that the revenue would go entirely to new road constructions in and around Stockholm instead of entirely to
public transport in StockholmPublic transport in Stockholm consists of bus, metro, regional/suburban rail, light rail, tram and archipelago boat operation in Stockholm County, Sweden. The bus and rail is organized by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik , SL, which is owned by the Stockholm County Council...
as it was during the trial period. The
parliamentThe Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
approved the congestion tax on June 20, 2007, for reintroduction on August 1, 2007.
Double-charging Essingeleden–Bromma
Due to the asymmetric exit and entrance placement on the tax exempt
EssingeledenEssingeleden is a motorway that goes from Solna to Stockholm, Sweden, crossing the westmost parts of central Stockholm, by going over Kungsholmen, Lilla Essingen, and Stora Essingen....
motorway, southbound vehicles exiting from Essingeleden towards Bromma in the west, have to pass through two separate control points (No. 9 Lindhagensgatan Interchange and No. 8 Fredhäll/Drottningholmsvägen Interchange), effectively doubling the charge
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=E4+%4059.367740,+18.020310&daddr=275%2FDrottningholmsv%C3%A4gen+%4059.333950,+17.972300&mrcr=0&mra=pr&sll=59.346233,17.994747&sspn=0.039035,0.139732&ie=UTF8&z=13&om=1. It is possible though to avoid the congestion tax entirely in this situation by taking another route instead, e.g. Frösundaleden
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=E4+%4059.367740,+18.020310&daddr=59.350521,17.973289+to:275%2FDrottningholmsv%C3%A4gen+%4059.333950,+17.972300&mrcr=0,1&mrsp=1&sz=13&mra=dpe&sll=59.347458,18.00642&sspn=0.039033,0.139732&ie=UTF8&ll=59.346233,17.994747&spn=0.039035,0.139732&z=13&om=1.
Automatic number plate recognition
The
automatic number plate recognitionAutomatic number plate recognition is a mass surveillance method that uses optical character recognition on images to read the licence plates on vehicles. As of 2006, systems can scan number plates at around one per second on cars traveling up to...
has its shortcomings. Number plates from Finland and
LithuaniaStandard vehicle registration plates in Lithuania bear three letters and three numbers in black lettering on a white background. The plates are usually of the standard EU dimensions, but can also be manufactured in the American dimensions for special import vehicles. All plates issued since 2004...
have a similar format compared to Swedish number plates, with three letters and three digits. The system can't see the difference, and a Swedish owner might falsely be charged. Also stolen and forged plates have caused false payment demand on innocent people.
See also
- Road pricing
Road pricing is an economic concept regarding the various direct charges applied for the use of roads. The road charges includes fuel taxes, licence fees, parking taxes, tolls, and congestion charges, including those which may vary by time of day, by the specific road, or by the specific vehicle...
- Congestion pricing
Congestion pricing or congestion charges is a system of surcharging users of a transport network in periods of peak demand to reduce traffic congestion. Examples include some toll-like road pricing fees, and higher peak charges for utilities, public transport and slots in canals and airports...
- Electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection , an adaptation of military "identification friend or foe" technology, aims to eliminate the delay on toll roads by collecting tolls electronically. It is thus a technological implementation of a road pricing concept...
- Milan Ecopass
The Ecopass program is a traffic pollution charge implemented in Milan, Italy, as an urban toll for some motorists traveling within a designated traffic restricted zone or ZTL , corresponding to the central Cerchia dei Bastioni area and encircling around 8.2 km2...
- San Francisco congestion pricing
San Francisco congestion pricing is a proposed traffic congestion user fee for vehicles traveling into the most congested areas of the city of San Francisco at certain periods of peak demand. The charge would be combined with other traffic reduction projects...
- Singapore Area Licensing Scheme
The Singapore Area Licensing Scheme , introduced in 1975, charged drivers entering downtown Singapore, and thereby aimed to manage traffic demand. This was the first urban traffic congestion pricing scheme to be successfully implemented in the world...
- Singapore's ERP
The Electronic Road Pricing scheme is an electronic toll collection scheme adopted in Singapore to manage traffic by road pricing, and as a usage-based taxation mechanism to complement the purchase-based Certificate of Entitlement system...
- London Congestion Charge
The London congestion charge is a fee for some motorists travelling within those parts of London designated as the Congestion Charge Zone . The main objectives of this charge are to reduce congestion, and to raise funds for investment in London's transport system...
- Manchester congestion charge
External links