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András Lukács Clean Air Action Group, Hungary (levego.hu)

The True Costs of Road Transport: How to Make People Aware, and How to Make Government Set the True Prices. András Lukács Clean Air Action Group, Hungary (www.levego.hu). TCFC VII, Istanbul, August 30, 2007. What are the costs of road transport?. Production costs

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András Lukács Clean Air Action Group, Hungary (levego.hu)

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  1. The True Costs of Road Transport: How to Make People Aware, and How to Make Government Set the True Prices András Lukács Clean Air Action Group, Hungary (www.levego.hu) TCFC VII, Istanbul, August 30, 2007

  2. What are the costs of road transport?

  3. Production costs These are internal, so we do not deal with them here in detail. However, it must be mentioned that very often it would be more sensible to spend one’s money on something else than cars. (Opportunity cost!)

  4. Road building and maintenance

  5. In Hungary VAT is refunded for motorway constructions (but not for railway constructions)

  6. Environmental and health damages

  7. Environmental and health damages • greenhouse gases (global warming) • other air pollution • water pollution • soil pollution • noise • other vibrations (especially heavy vehicles) • land use • fragmentation of nature • accidents • traffic jams • hindering users of other modes of transport (e.g. pedestrians and cyclists) • special urban problems, leading e.g. to psychological disorders

  8. Environmental damages due to up- and downstream processes • For example: • Manufacturing of motor vehicles • Road building • Oil extraction and refining • Disposal of used motor vehicles

  9. Congestion

  10. Fuel tourism and fuel smuggling Customs Office

  11. Competitive advantages of road freight transport due to violation of regulations on traffic safety, working time, truck load weight etc.

  12. Losses of the state due to the black market practices (tax evasion, smuggling etc.) by truck drivers

  13. Competitive advantage of road freight transport due to anti-market financial measures by the state concerning the railway freight transport

  14. Accounting private use of cars as official use i.e. evasion of personal income tax and social security tax etc. by fraud based on car use This is an enormous incentive to car use in some countries (Hungary: 3% of GDP)

  15. Subsidies to urban sprawl New houses in the surroundings of Budapest

  16. Subsidies to urban sprawl Shopping malls mushroom around Budapest

  17. Subsidies to urban sprawl A huge shopping mall near Budapest – 10 years ago this was a green area

  18. Advertisements, media

  19. State revenues from cars and trucks

  20. BALANCE OF STATE EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES FOR TRUCKS IN HUNGARY

  21. BALANCE OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES FOR CARS IN HUNGARY

  22. All this is only for one year, however these subsidies have been accumulating already for many years!

  23. The distorted prices lead to wrong decisions on all levels. They stimulate the use of unsustainable transport modes. These processes are not only environmentally unsustainable, but also economically, financially. The user/polluter pays principle must be applied.

  24. What to do? Some experiences of the Clean Air Action Group

  25. CAAG and other NGOs hand over a petition for the Prime Minister demanding more funds for public transport and railways, and less for motorways

  26. „Living streets” organised by CAAG in the center of Budapest

  27. Demonstration at the Hungarian Parliament for an environment-friendly transport policy

  28. CAAG’s demonstration before the Budapest City Hall for stricter parking regulations, increasing parking fees and better use of public space

  29. Heavy trucks cause enormous road damages. In many places they damage also buildings and public utilities. One 40-tonne truck causes as much damage to the road as 100 000 cars. Source: New Scientist, 1992

  30. Campaign FREIGHT: FROM ROAD TO RAIL Funded mostly by the Oak Foundation

  31. Advertisements: • Television • Newspapers • Giant posters • Small posters in metro • Letters to • all mayors in Hungary (3200) • all members of the Parliament • ministers • 30-minute film • Wide press coverage

  32. Kick-off press conference of the campaign

  33. Kick-off press conference of the campaign

  34. Conference on truck traffic organised by CAAG in the House of the Members of Parliament

  35. Demonstration of CAAG and local residents agaist heavy truck traffic

  36. Nation-wide opinion poll

  37. The Hungarian Parliament this year decided to introduce a kilometer fee for trucks from 1st January 2009. It also decided to increase subsidies for combined transport.

  38. CAAG’s correspondance with the European Commission • The Hungarian Government is asking for a lot of EU money for road construction. The European Commission is likely to approve this. • CAAG’s position: • No aid should be given until all external costs are internalized. Road users must pay the costs. Otherwise thepolluter pays principle will be violated. • The SEA of the Hungarian road construction program shows that it will be environmentally unsustainable. According to the EU legislation no EU aid can be given for unsustainable projects…

  39. Thank you for your attention! www.levego.hu TCFC Vin the BudapestCity Hall

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