Impacts of road user charges on individual welfare—A pre-inauguration exploration for Germany

This paper analyzes different road pricing schemes concerning their equity and social acceptability for Germany. Two pricing scenarios (time- vs. distance-based) and two compensation measures are assessed. The analysis is based on individual mobility diaries. In contrast to other studies, households are grouped by their equivalized disposable income levels as proxy for the household's social status and as recommended by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is found that the distributional impact varies significantly depending on the implemented pricing scheme and the compensation measures. Assuming unchanged behavior patterns, the present study shows the potential benefits of implementing mileage-based user charges combined with compensation measures on social equity.