29.05.2007

Road pricing back on agenda

The UK government’s Draft Local Transport Bill paves the way for local authorities to develop their own road pricing schemes. But they would have to spend the income on local transport.
Tory transport spokesman says the plan is “a Trojan horse for national road pricing.”

Industry observers think a number of authorities, probably including Transport for London, will use the opportunity to dust off their outline plans.

The Freight Transport Association says it likes the idea of road pricing, provided it isn’t used as panacea for the nation’s congestion problems. The FTA wants more positive policy and investment for the UK road network and worries that road pricing might be used as an excuse to ditch big plans for new road capacity.