Applied Economics Seminar Series. A field experiment of Tradable Peak Permits among Beijing Car Commuters
Published: 23 February 2026
4 March 2026. Professor Erik Verhoef, VU Amsterdam
Professor Erik Verhoef, VU Amsterdam
"A field experiment of Tradable Peak Permits among Beijing Car Commuters"
Wednesday, 4 March. 11:00
Room 107 Rankine Building
Abstract
In view of the limited societal and political acceptability of congestion charges, there is increasing interest in positive and budget-neutral financial incentives to affect peak behaviour of car commuters. Examples of positive incentives are financial rewards to avoid the peak hours such as in so-called "Spitsmijden" experiments as applied in The Netherlands. Budget-neutral financial incentives can be designed around the concept of tradable permits, among others known from the European Emissions Trading Scheme for CO2. It is an important question whether this same concept would work for individuals as it does for firms. In this presentation I will review some experiments we have performed to gain insight into this question, briefly going through earlier (published) work and concentrating on the most recent field experiment among car commuters in Beijing.
Bio
Erik Verhoef (1966) graduated in Economics at the University of Groningen (1991), and obtained a PhD in Economics at VU Amsterdam. He is now affiliated as a full professor in Spatial Economics at this same university, and as a research fellow at the Tinbergen Institute. He has been Vice (Research) Dean of the School of Business and Economics, and was from 2012-2024 Head of Department of Spatial Economics, both at VU Amsterdam.
Erik Verhoef's research focuses on efficiency and equity aspects of spatial externalities and their economic regulation, in particular in transport, urban and spatial systems. Important research themes include second-best regulation, network- and spatial analysis and methodological development, efficiency aspects versus equity and social acceptability, industrial organization in network markets, valuation and behavioural modelling, and policy evaluation. He has been involved in various national and international research consortia. His research is at the interface of welfare-, micro-, transport-, urban-, spatial- and environmental economics. He has published various books and numerous articles on these topics.
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First published: 23 February 2026
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