Retiring University of Western Australia transport Professor John Taplin has advocated the introduction of a congestion tax in the CBD as one way to reduce traffic problems and make public transport more attractive.
The former Director General of Transport WA said that many people feel that public policy could get people out of cars.
"But the catch is that people love their cars and they won't give them up easily," he said.
"As an economist I think the system should reflect what people want to do."
Professor Taplin said another difficulty is that public transport only serves the centre city.
"It does not even serve UWA and Curtin University very well," he said.
"In fact, about 80 per cent of all work is carried out in premises outside the city centre, and public transport doesn't serve these areas well.
"That is a difficulty that can't be overcome and a lot of people will go on using cars.
"But we should make the public transport system to the CBD more attractive."
Professor Taplin said that a CBD toll could be one way to do this.
"A curious delusion in Australia is that governments are only entitled to put charges on roads when they have been especially built as a toll road,' argued Professor Taplin.
"There should be proper congestion charges," he said.
However, Professor Taplin said the rising popularity of LPG, electric cars, and hybrid cars will all provide commuters with low-cost ways of continuing to use motor vehicles.
But he said this solution also has a catch as it requires electricity which comes from burning coal.
