Integrating Road Pricing into Urban Traffic Management Systems on Saddar Road Rawalpindi Pakistan

Abstract

Congestion is one of the most problematic concerns that cities experience currently, and Rawalpindi – Pakistan is not an exception. The roads of Rawalpindi especially in the Saddar area have turned into one of the worst places for commuters as well as for city authorities and managers. The area concentrated with commercial centres, wholesale markets, government and private offices experiences a very high traffic density resulting in longer travel times, higher fuel consumption and more emissions. Therefore, this study considers road congestion pricing as an appropriate strategy for confronting this problem proactively since it is based on demand-side management using the software; VISUM.  The study is aimed at helping policy makers early on develop equitable and workable road pricing. This can reduce traffic volume and discourage usage of private vehicles on roads by using private cars or even any other forms of transport in time slots, hence showing 8.3% reduction of volume when charges were implemented in the study period for car users and light transport vehicles. Equally promising is the financial impact: an estimated PKR 67 billion annually through road pricing, which is an enormous source for reinvestment into urban transport infrastructure, such as developing reliable public transport systems, improving road quality, and modern toll collection. This is where current developments in road pricing come in — to demonstrate how this transport management tool can have impacts on one of Rawalpindi’s important urban routes before cautious endorsement is given to embracing this particular solution for improving sustainable accessibility without disadvantaging people.