Congestion Pricing in Bogotá

                There has been some movement in the direction toward congestion pricing in Bogotá (and in all of Latin America) but the implementation of it has been difficult and is met with a great deal of opposition.

The Bogotá Transport Master Plan for 1997 contained plans for a congestion pricing scheme option, but it has received limited support. Some of the success of the other programs such as the Transmilenio BRT system and Pico y Placa has led to the opposition of congestion pricing. There is also some research showing that congestion pricing has some additional inherent equity issues that the other programs do not have. Parking and gasoline fees and pricing increased significantly alongside the Transmilenio system.  Parking fees in Bogotá have recently been increased by 100%, and gasoline taxes have been increased to 20% of the sale price.

                The model for congestion pricing comes from London but the plans that have been proposed in Bogotá would be slightly different. For example, the London scheme is implemented on an all-day basis while in Bogotá, it would most likely be implemented in only highly congested and/or during peak travel times. A study of self-selected residents in Bogotá showed that 60% of respondents felt that congestion pricing is a good way to manage congestion issues. However, the city has also tried to establish toll schemes on major routes for people entering the city from neighboring areas, but it was ardently lobbied against by these municipalities and failed. These differing views make it difficult to tell how easily a congestion pricing scheme could be implemented in the city (Mahendra, 2008).

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Mahendra, Anjali. “Vehicle Restrictions in Four Latin American Cities: Is Congestion Pricing Possible?” Transport Reviews. Vol. 28, No. 1, 105–133, January 2008. Print.