Benefits and Risks of the Driving Restriction Policy: A Case Study of Xi’an, China

With the deterioration of air pollution and traffic congestion especially in urban areas, the policy restricting cars operating on the road is deemed as an effective strategy to mitigate the negative impacts. After implementing the driving restriction policy (DRP), some benefits were yielded albeit a few problems appeared. It is desirable to assess the benefits and risks of the DRP and thus propose measures to maintain the benefits. A revealed preference (RP) survey was conducted in the field and via the internet. There are 585 valid samples collected, which were classified by socioeconomic factors, and the corresponding reactions were analyzed and compared. The correlation analysis was used to identify significant and independent demographic/characteristic variables. The results show that most travelers perceive benefits from reducing car ownership and have positive views on DRP. However, others would negatively react to the DRP, which is mainly manifested by buying another car, driving during non-restricted hours and traveling against regulations. Furthermore, socio-demographic characteristics show a relatively high correlation with travel mode choice. Automobile is favorable to middle-aged travelers with upper-middle income. Family characteristics (i.e. household structure, pick up children and cars ownership) are also important inducing travelers to use private cars. These findings will be helpful for formulating the DRP to yield greater benefits after implementation.