The Stockholm Congestion Charging System, created by IBM (NYSE: IBM) has significantly improved access to the Swedish capital by halving queuing times on access roads to the city in the mornings. City traffic is down by 18% and CO2 emissions in the inner city have been cut by between 14 and 18 percent. These are the results of the latest study on the system by the Stockholm City Traffic authorities.
In addition, the number of “green”, tax-exempt vehicles has almost tripled, with the study showing that the congestion charging system the most influential factor in the decision to choose a “green” car. The number of commuters on public transport has increased by around 7 percent or 60 000 passengers per day. During 2008, approximately 82 million vehicle passages were handled by the congestion charge system, with an accuracy exceeding 99,99 percent.
The congestion charge is a national tax, with net income expected to be USD 84 million in 2010, returned to the Stockholm region for investment in traffic infrastructure.
According to a new IBM research report, as the world becomes more urbanised — with 70 percent of the population living in cities by the year 2050 — a number of cities are struggling to keep pace with increased traffic and congestion problems accompanying urban growth. The report shows that transport has emerged as an urgent priority for municipal planners who need to improve traffic flow in order to promote cleaner, less congested cities.
The Stockholm system is the largest of its kind in Europe, with 18 barrier-free control points around the inner city equipped with cameras to identify vehicles around a 24 square kilometre area. In addition to working with the city of Stockholm, IBM is also assisting the cities of London, Singapore and Brisbane to address traffic management and congestion challenges.
- from news.prnewswire.com