Trying to isolate the effect of a singular policy on a highly volatile variable is never an easy feat. Nevertheless, it is the goal that this thesis tries to accomplish. Econometric analysis shows
that the heavy vehicle fee in Switzerland causes statistically identifiable effects. According to baseline estimates, the HVF implies a cost elasticity of about -1.4 on heavy-duty mileage. An
RDD-Estimation shows that adapting HVF tariffs doesn’t imply lower overall mileage values. Instead, the HVF shifts road traffic from older, more polluting to newer, cleaner trucks. This might not be in line with the Swiss efforts to shift transport from road to rail. Nonetheless, it contributes to a different goal in transport policy, namely, to internalize the negative externalities of road traffic.