The second largest city in Sweden, Gothenburg, plans to introduce a road user charge in 2013 similar to the one adopted in Stockholm, it has been announced following a vote by the city council last week. The scheme – which will include some 40 toll stations around the city – is aimed at financing infrastructure investments, reducing greenhouse gases and cutting traffic in the city center by around 15%.

Located on Sweden’s west coast, Gothenburg, has some 506,000 inhabitants and has been evaluating the feasibility of advanced urban road pricing through a field trial as part of the EU’s PRoGR€SS project. “The issue will now be put to the government,” a statement from the city council reads. “A decision about a congestion charge will be taken by parliament this spring and the plan is for the congestion charge to be introduced in 2013.”

The charge would be similar to the one levied in Stockholm in 2007, whereby motorists entering and leaving the city between Monday and Friday pay between SKr10 and SKr20 (US$1.40 and US$2.80), depending on the time of day, with an upper limit of SKr60 (US$8.40) a day. A number of other cities have introduced similar toll schemes including London, Rome and Singapore.