[lbo-talk] Congestion pricing may not hurt the poor, study finds

Patrick Bond pbond at mail.ngo.za
Tue Sep 2 22:08:12 PDT 2008


Max B. Sawicky wrote:
> ... Yes, with no alternative the charge just screws over the people
> who can't afford it.

Hey, is there anyone who has worked out transport charging that would have a progressive impact, by a) assuring a lifeline supply of transport (gas/petrol, or free transport of some sort to all poor/working people), cross-subsidised by luxury taxation for hedonistic consumers?

That sort of public welfare strategy is beginning to work in South Africa in the case of water, where a recent constitutional lawsuit gave great impetus to free basic water (50 liters per person per day) and much higher charges for consumption in excess of 200 liters per person per day. (Some results are here: http://www.nu.ac.za/ccs/files/Bond%20decentralization,%20privatisation,%20water.pdf )

But we definitely need to figure something like this out for the human right to transport/mobility, especially in relation to the sort of airplane travels that climate hypocrites like me are guilty of.



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