Social acceptability of congestion charging: The example of Istanbul

Currently, traffic congestion is arguably one of the most significant transportation system issues in large metropolitan areas. Congestion pricing is a prevalent solution to this significant issue. Taking into account Istanbul's population size, strategic location, and multi-directional transport structure, the increase in the number of motor vehicles has elevated the city to the top of the list of congested cities in the world. This circumstance highlights the significance of congestion pricing and places it on the agenda. This study examines Singapore, London, and Stockholm, which have successfully implemented congestion pricing, and Hong Kong, Edinburgh, and New York, where congestion pricing has been rejected. Successful implementations will guide the identification of feasible and effective strategies for evaluating the issue in Istanbul, while unsuccessful implementations will help us identify potential obstacles and understand how to surmount them. The objective of this research is to ascertain the variables that influence the societal acceptance of congestion charge in Istanbul. The identification of these elements will allow academics and policymakers to assess the viability of implementing congestion pricing as a solution to traffic congestion in Istanbul, and to draw conclusions based on empirical scientific evidence. The study utilized 1336 genuine survey responses to analyze traffic congestion indices in Istanbul. These indices were calculated based on the number of voters and average traffic speeds in 38 districts (excluding Adalar). Nonparametric (Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-Square) methods were used to analyze the data using IBM SPSS 23. The research conducted an analysis to determine the various elements that influence the level of popular acceptability towards congestion pricing in Istanbul. The findings of the independence test examining the relationship between participants' demographic characteristics and their acceptance of congestion pricing revealed that variables such as gender, age, education, marital status, number of children, and monthly total household income were significantly associated with acceptability. The acceptance of congestion pricing in Istanbul is influenced by the presence of significant issues within the city. Furthermore, it may be inferred that the acceptance of congestion pricing is influenced by factors such as the presence of alternative transportation options, the frequency of car usage during weekdays, the responsibility for toll payment, and the allocation of congestion pricing revenues.