The congestion charging zone in London was first introduced in February 2003. Although it remained a product of its era, the road pricing system has evolved since its initial iteration. Even if the social and economic rationale for pricing roads had long been understood, the political palatability has remained a barrier to implementing the next generation of road pricing. To overcome this, any future schemes must place the user at the heart of their design.
We were appointed to provide support to think tank, Centre for London, to look at what the next generation of road pricing in London could look like. To better understand how to design human-centred charging schemes, we hosted workshops with local experts across various sectors. The information gathered on these sessions was essential to gain a wider perspective and identify areas of consensus around the future design of road pricing in the city.
Our holistic approach provided a picture of users’ needs and behaviours while addressing the mobility challenges of travelling across the city. By bringing together a multidisciplinary team, we were able to provide the strategic context to initiate the discussion about the future of road use and mobility in the capital. The insights gathered helped Centre for London develop a research report that aimed to guide future leaders about the direction and principles of road pricing in the city.
Seeking a broader perspective
In conjunction with Centre for London, we hosted stakeholder workshops with a series of experts from across various sectors in the capital. To gain a broader perspective, workshops included representatives from traditional industry groups, transport authorities and leading thinkers as well as emerging stakeholders in the tech, financial and green sectors. Participants were asked to design a next generation charging scheme for London based on the question: how can we create an effective road pricing system that Londoners want to use?
To encourage fresh thinking and challenge their existing notions of road pricing, we highlighted the technological and lifestyle innovations that had taken place since the introduction of the congestion charge in 2003. For example, we asked them to think about why services like Uber, Netflix and Spotify are successful, and to consider the role that modern technologies like smartphones, GPS, and big data could play in the design of future pricing schemes.
To ensure ideas were relevant to the local context and challenges, we also gave them additional information about the issues affecting London roads and the limitations and restrictions of current charging mechanisms. This structure led participants to put the user experience at the core of their future charging scheme proposals.
Agreeing a way forward
The information collected through the workshops gave Centre for London a picture of some clear areas of consensus around the future design of road pricing in the city. For example, it was critical that solutions integrated multiple transport modes and harnessed the abilities of modern digital technology. Most participants also agreed on the need of a strategy which provided both incentives and disincentives, rewarding people for choosing active travel modes while penalising undesirable transport behaviours that could be reasonably avoided.
Our holistic approach unveiled users’ behaviour and addressed the mobility challenges of travelling across the city. By bringing economic, digital and transport consultants together, we were able to provide the strategic context to initiate constructive and progressive discussion about the future of road use and mobility in the capital.
Aiming to help guide the future conversation on mobility pricing, Centre for London developed a research report based on the insights gained from these sessions. The piece has become a catalyst for further study in this field, progressing the ambition of delivering next generation mobility pricing for London.
London, like many cities around the world, is facing increasing challenges in maintaining an efficient and reliable road network. Mobility pricing, if pursued correctly, can be one highly effective component of urban mobility solutions. This means harnessing the available technology and putting the user at the heart of any future scheme design.
Ben Rogers
Director, Centre for London
What we delivered
Engaged with more than 50 stakeholders through multiple workshops
Helped identify areas of consensus around the future design of road pricing in London
The project's insights laid the foundation for the final report, driving further study on London's mobility pricing
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