Zagreb studying congestion charging

Zagreb's main roads

European Union urban mobility project CIVITAS appears to have funded an investigation into congestion pricing in Croatian capital Zagreb. 

The report from the website says:

The large number of personal cars in the city centre is result of an insufficient road network in the northern part of the city, thus requiring all vehicles to travel across the city centre to go from east to west. There is also an inadequate level of public transport with an insufficient number of vehicles and an ill equipped management system. The study should propose modalities for introducing congestion charging in the city centre, and define the exact target area. It should also familiarise the public with the possible positive results of such a measure, thus ensuring their support for its implementation.

Croatia does need a completed ring road, but I'd argue that it should not just be about considering cordons, but other design options for charging.  Charging certain corridors, or multiple zones is another option.  The key is to design to target congestion, not just what looks technically easy.

According to the Croatian Times, the Zagreb Faculty of Traffic Sciences has proposed a charge of 20 kunas €2.75 or US$3.82 to cross a downtown cordon.

Good on Zagreb for looking at a congestion charge, I hope it can come up with some innovative solutions that will address congestion, but also add to the attractiveness of the city for business, as Croatia is on the cusp of joining the European Union.