Question

A city has built a bridge over a river and it decides to charge a toll to everyone who crosses. For one year, the city charges a variety of different tolls and records information on how many drivers cross the bridge. The city thus gathers information about elasticity of demand. If the city wishes to raise as much revenue as possible from the tolls, where will the city decide to charge a toll: in the inelastic portion of the demand curve, the elastic portion of the demand curve, or the unit elastic portion? Explain.

Answer 1

Answer: In the inelastic portion of the demand curve

Step-by-step explanation:

The city will charge in the inelastic portion of the demand curve, because in that portion the percentage increase in price will be greater than the percentage decrease in demand. Therefore, the price increase will not only compensate for the decrease in demand but will also allow an increase in income.