It implemented a trial road-pricing system for Stockholm and is running an advertising campaign touting the results:
The road charging system has made a real impact in congestion and overall quality of life for the citizens of Stockholm. By the end of the trial, traffic was down nearly 25 percent. Public transport schedules had to be redesigned because of the increase in speed from reduced congestion. And even inner-city retailers saw a six percent boost in business.
And this:
In the face of local skepticism about the project, the authorities decided to implement road pricing for one year—on a trial basis—and then allow citizens to decide via a referendum whether to make it permanent. That referendum recently passed, and in a few of months, the program will be up and running again.
IBM obviously thinks it can make a lot of money implementing road pricing schemes for other cities. Not to be cynical, but there is real hope for road pricing if influential, politically-connected corporations start lobbying for it.
H/t The Overhead Wire.
