Feasibility of Two Traffic Congestion Solve Techniques in Sao PauloTraffic congestion in Sao Paulo has been considered a serious challenge to the regional and local area (Leme, 2010). The problem has raised the costs of fuel, massive delays and losses in financial resources among other problems (Vickerman, 2005). In the last few decades, traffic congestion in Sao Paulo has turned to be a nightmare that has to be addressed by the authorities. The problem has been highlighted in the international news agencies and also by the local news agencies in local news houses. Surveys done by the Time Magazine indicated that Sao Paulo is one of the cities in the world with the worst traffic congestion. Statistics compiled by the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) placed Brazil at position six among the nations with the worst traffic congestion in the world (IBM, 2010). The economy of Sao Paulo has been negatively influenced despite frantic efforts done by the authorities (Jain at al., 2012).Authorities in Sao Paulo have discouraged use of private vehicles through the introduction of Road space rationing, in similarity to what is done in major cities of the world, particularly in the United Kingdom and in the United States. The practice must be supported by all the stakeholders in realizing the desired results of reducing traffic congestion in Sao Paulo. Concerned stakeholders identify with districts and municipalities in the urban and city regions, public acceptance, political commitment and institutional capabilities in Sao Paulo (Rivasplata, 2013). Congestion pricing is another option that Sao Paulo can engage in reducing the current traffic congestion in the city. This report analyses the feasibility of congestion charge and road space rationing in relevance to public acceptance, cost and effectiveness of the techniques.Reflecting on surveys done by Urban Age, it was noted that Sao Paulo in Brazil is one of the extensive metropolitan areas (Biderman, 2008), with a population of forty million individuals; hence accounting for more than twenty percent of the Brazilian population. In the recent past, traffic congestion in Sao Paulo is a serious problem that must be addressed by the relevant authorities. Traffic congestion has been facilitated by the increased ownership of vehicles by the urban population basing on the high population growth and on the increased purchasing power of individuals basing on higher wages, salaries and business returns.It has been noted that the number of cars in 1985 was approximately two million in Sao Paulo, the figures has shot to over four million according to statistics compiled in 2007 and the figures are increasing (CAF, 2010; Mahendra, 2008). The ratio of car ownership to a thousand individuals in Sao Paulo is 230:1000, which is one of the highest ratio in Latin America and the nearing regions (CAF, 2010). The problem of inappropriate land use planning and poor coordination in the transport industry is a challenge to Sao Paulo just like majority of cities in the world, particularly with the developing nations and in the least developed nations (Texas transportation Institute, 2011). Increased incomes among the dwellers of Sao Paulo has opted for private transport in regards to public transport, a practice contributing to high levels of air pollution and also traffic congestion (Anas & Timilsina, 2009).Travel demand management implementation relies on the current and on the future financial investment. The city Sao Paulo has rich resources accounting for a third of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Brazil. Analysis done of the GDP of Sao Paulo indicated that the city contributes more than one thousand billion United States dollars, a model that has contributed to Brazil being the largest economy in the South American region. Sao Paulo has the largest per-capital income, a factor contributed to complex lifestyles in the city, there are pockets of poor people at the peripheries of the largest cities in Brazil.Brazil is a developing nation, an indication that the country considers cost as an important factor contributing to the choice of the traffic congestion management technique. Analysts argue that the cost of control techniques depend on the technique and should focus on the effectiveness of the technique and the associated benefits.Brazilians acknowledge the need of managing traffic congestion in Sao Paulo, but the current system has faced a number of public discontent and criticism (Leme, 2010). It is argued that the current system is ineffective and places an economic burden to the communities neighboring Sao Paulo. The cost and effectiveness of implementing both techniques should resonate with the social acceptance of the residents in the city since tax levy will be used in facilitating the traffic jam control techniques.Implementing congestion charge technique and road space rationing should be pegged on the effectiveness of the techniques depending on the context (Gentile et al. 2005). Effectiveness considers the short term results and also on the sustainability of the technique in the long run.Congestion pricing is characterized with techniques and strategies of engaging charges that discourage motorists from entering the Central Business District (CBD) and other congested areas in high traffic periods (Gentile et al. 2005). The users of vehicles in the high traffic periods are surcharged in the course of using public goods. Peak hours are characterized with excess demand of electricity, bus services, railways, metros, road pricing and telephones. Congestion charging has worked in a number of developed cities in the world, and the same concept is replicated in Sao Paulo to ease traffic congestion (Ecola & Light, 2009).Road Space Rationing is a technique applied in reducing traffic congestion in the cities, this is made possible by restricting access of the city by the private cars; particularly during the peak hours, cars with particular number plates, specific days that are pre-established or particular road networks (Cervero, 2013). This method restricts vehicle travel artificially in regulating traffic congestion in major cities. The technique admits that the road space is scarce mainly during peak hours, it has been noted that negative externalities are discouraged, which are common in peak hours. Road space rationing encourages high road capacity at peak hours in effectively managing traffic congestion (Cervero, 2013).Adopting congestion and road space rationing techniques is faced with a number of barriers (Rivasplata, 2013). Congestion-charge technique is very expensive to implement since Brazil is a developing nation, the system has effectively worked in developed nations. In Brazil, incomes are low and the resources are inadequate compared to Europe. The pricing system is expensive to operate, setup and design.Table 1Source: (Karagiannis et al., 2008)Graph 1Table 2Congestion pricing brings out a complex issue reflecting on public acceptability, although it can be approached in diverse models (Schade et al, 2003). The toll schemes have been criticized by transport sectors and a number of social groups and arguing that pricing measures contribute to unfairness. Pricing measures are expected to work in Sao Paulo since road space rationing has not been as effective as it was thought before the program was initiated and will also act as a source of revenue in Sao Paulo (Ecola & Light, 2009). The congestion charge is an added cost to the high income travelers and also to the middle income travelers in the city; low income earners will barely be affected by congestion charging. Sao Paulo has developed mechanisms that ensure that low income households face free passes and discounts as part of the congestion pricing programs.It is expected that road users in Sao Paulo will respond in diverse ways concerning full implementation of congestion pricing. It is expected that people will change departure time, travel mode, route choice, travel frequencies and destinations. It is expected that congestion pricing in the long run will affect work locations and residential locations (Banister, 2002) location choices will be influential in understanding travel mode choices and trip patterns that will react to congestion pricing model in reducing traffic congestion in the cities (Cervero, 2013).Changes and new ways of doing things historically have been characterized with societal controversies. In the same concept, introduction of Congestion Charge and Road Space Rationing in Sao Paulo has faced both public acceptance and controversies that affect the effectiveness of the programs due to public acceptance and public rejection. It has been noted that if public acceptance is positive, the effectiveness of the program is promising. Authorities in Sao Paulo must understand the psychological determinants that generate to controversies and public acceptance. Public acceptance and effectiveness is influenced by trust, risk, knowledge, perceived benefits, attitude and individual differences.The problem of traffic congestion in Sao Paulo has persisted even after the implementation of road space rationing. There is a need of facilitating implementation of congestion pricing in curbing traffic congestion that has contributed to diverse losses in the city and in the economy of Brazil in general. The best model of implementing the techniques for curbing traffic congestion is best done by actively involving all the stakeholders involved, which will make implementation stage fast and effective due to minimized resistance.Sao Paulo is one of the congested cities in the world and has one of the complex traffic congestions. In 1997, Sao Paulo implemented road space rationing, and the results lasted for some years in the initial stages, the problem of traffic congestion is back to Sao Paulo. It is the high time that Sao Paulo fully implements congestion charge along with refining road space rationing. All stakeholders must be involved in realizing the desired results and in reducing friction with different social groups, transport sectors and other influential bodies that could derail the process. Congestion charging will reduce urban congestion, handle environmental concerns and manage increasing vehicle ownership in Sao Paulo.Anas, A., & Timilsina, G. R. (2009).. Sao Paulo: The World Bank.Banister, D. (2002). The integration of road pricing with land use planning. , pp. 118.Biderman, C. (2008). So Paulos urban transport infrastructure., 7-27.Cervero, R. (2013). Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): An Efficient and Competitive Mode of Public Transport., 12-23.Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF). (2010). Urban Mobility. , 10-56.Ecola, L., & Light, T. (2009). . Santa Monica, USA: RAND Corporation.Gentile, G. et al. 2005. Advanced pricing and rationing policies for large scale multimodal networks. , 39, 612 631.International Business Machines (IBM). (2010). . Retrieved September 3, 2013, -03ibm.com: http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/32017.Jain, V. et al. (2012). Road traffic congestion in the developing world. p. 11.Karagiannis et al. (2008). London Congestion Charging. , 450.Leme, M. C. (2010). Transforming the modern Latin American city: Robert Moses and the International Basic Economic Corporation: Research from the field.,(4), 515-528.Mahendra, A. (2008). Vehicle restrictions in four Latin American cities: Is congestion pricing possible?.,28(1), 105-133.Rivasplata, C. R. (2013). Congestion pricing for Latin America: Prospects and constraints.,(1), 56-65.Schade, J. et al. (2003). Acceptability of urban transport pricing strategies. , 6(1), 4561.Texas transportation Institute. (2011).Retrieved November 22 2013, mobility.tamu.edu: http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/.Vickerman, R.W. (2005). Evaluating the wider economic impacts of congestion charging schemes: the limitations of conventional modeling approaches. , 2327.