Sustainable urban transportation: abatement and control of traffic congestion and vehicular emissions from land transportation in Singapore

Traffic from land transport is one of the largest sources of negative externalities in most urban environments. High economic growth rates and rising urban incomes have led to high ownership of motor vehicles, particularly the automobile. The inability of governments to demand-manage the growth, provide alternative forms of transport, and introduce systematic land-use planning has led to gridlock in the road system and acute air and noise pollution. The economist’s solution has been to introduce either some form of user charge or ration or some command and control measures. For user charges to be effective, the policymaker must know the nature of the demand and the cost of the externality. This is often not possible as it may result in overuse of the facility if charges are set below the optimal rate, especially if the demand is elastic (and vice versa). This paper explores the factors that influence the success or failure of either or both approaches, with Singapore as a case study. © 2000, Springer Japan.