Policy: Leadership & Championing

A frequently stated success factor in road pricing schemes is the need for an influential champion. Usually these champions are elected politicians that harness support and foster concensus as was the case in London. For example, during Mayoral 2004 elections Ken Livingstone was the only candidate promising to introduce congestion charging and delivered once in office. While a champion may not be a pre-requisite, evidence suggests that they can influence implementation time and public acceptability (CfIT, 2006).