Paper short abstract:

Introduction of congestion charges in Stockholm gave rise to massive criticism from residents regarding interference in everyday lives and political maneuvering. But the number of car trips decreased by 20% in the inner city and a majority voted yes to the charges 9 months after the introduction.

Paper long abstract:

In Stockholm there was a full-scale trial of congestion charges from January 3 until July 31, 2006. It was successful in terms of reducing congestion and emissions. Using qualitative interviews and travel diaries from residents in the region, results showed that the trial gave rise to both new ideas and criticisms in a number of areas, such as traffic measures, interference in people's everyday lives and political maneuvering. The latter type of criticism partly seemed to be a rhetorical way of reacting to car travel being questioned. The trial shed light on travel habits, for example in terms of which trips were actually canceled, thus decreasing the total number of trips by 20% in the inner city. It transpired that it was car trips for social or leisure reasons that were canceled, rather than routine trips for e.g. work and food shopping. The trial appears to have contributed to interrupting habit-forming processes regarding the former. Shortly after the trial a majority of inhabitants in the city of Stockholm voted yes to the charges in a referendum. This indicates that traffic is an area in which the general public demands political action and concrete measures. The fact that many of those critical of the charges provided detailed ideas for alternative measures confirms this assumption. The trial extended the scope of local residents' ideas about possible solutions to the problems created by Stockholm traffic, although the authorities and politicians involved seemed ill-prepared to consider the wide range of reactions aroused.