Acceptability of Beijing congestion charging from a business perspective.

Beijing is China's national capital, a major economic center, and home to nearly 22 million people. The city currently suffers from serious traffic congestion and extreme air pollution. Beijing's metropolitan government is currently considering implementation of a congestion charging system intended to discourage the use of private motor vehicles and encourage a shift to public transportation. Nearly 1500 Beijing-area business managers responded to a survey asking their opinions about the system. The data was analyzed using multinomial logit modeling and cluster analysis to identify the major sources of support and non-support for the proposed system, and to create profiles of "typical" businesses that support, are neutral to, or oppose the system. These results indicate that support for the system is highest among small businesses located in the city's central business district, where there is significant traffic congestion and good access to public transportation. Support is weakest among large businesses located in outer suburbs with relatively limited public transit. Business managers' level of understanding of congestion charging and the extent to which they think it will successfully reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality were major factors in support or non-support for the proposed system. The results indicate that providing clear and credible information about the way the proposed system will work, how the revenue from congestion charging will be used, and the transportation and environmental benefits of the system are essential to gaining support from the business community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]