Pricing of Transport Networks, Redistribution and Optimal Taxation

Abstract

We study optimal pricing of roads and public transport in presence of nonlinear in- come taxation. Individuals are heterogeneous in unobservable earning ability. Optimal transport tarifs depend on time costs of travel and work schedule adjustments (days and hours worked per day) as a response to commuting costs. We find that discounts for low income individuals are optimal only if the time cost of a trip is small enough. Lower travel time costs facilitate screening: therefore, redistribution provides an additional motive for congestion pricing. Finally, we investigate the desirability of means-testing of transport tarifs