24/02/2002 Government considers charging motorists per mile
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British motorists could be taxed according to the distance they drive under plans to reduce congestion problems. Drivers in some areas like central London could pay up to 45p a mile for being on the roads at peak times. The Commission for Integrated Transport says its plan would cut jams by nearly a half within 10 years and replace existing road taxes. Commission chairman Professor David Begg said : "It's good for Britain, there's significant reductions in congestion, there will be less pollution because a lot of pollution is caused by queuing traffic." |
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Average charge proposals per mile Top charge: 45p, central London, rush-hour Motorway weekday: 3.5p Other roads weekday: 4.3p Rural roads busy times: 1p Rural roads off-peak: free Birmingham to Manchester - £7.40 Leeds to Liverpool - £6 Road tax scrapped Fuel duty cut from 12p to 2p Information on their whereabouts could be beamed back to computers at highway authorities or to a private company contracted to the Government. Charges would be levied according to the time of day the car is travelling, and the type of road used. The Commission, provides transport advice to the Government. It says that Global Positioning System satellites would track vehicles via electronic black boxes fixed to the dashboard. |
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Professor Begg said,
"there would be no overall increase in taxes to motorists and those using only minor roads or driving short distances outside peak hours may not be charged at all, .
We have known for some time now that while there is a case for some new roads we are never going to build our way out of this congestion problem because it simply generates more traffic"
."We have to come up with a mechanism which discourages some people, who do not really have to be on the busiest roads during the peak hours, to travel at different times and that's where congestion charging comes in." Professor Begg called on the government to implement its 10 year plans to improve public transport and provide the alternative people need to leave their cars at home".
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Professor David Begg is Chair of the UK Commission for Integrated Transport and a Non Executive Director of British Railways Board and the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority "It's good for Britain" |
The scheme is bound to be controversial. Even limited local congestion charge schemes, such as that planned for London, have hit huge opposition. Mayor Ken Livingstone this week said
"plans for motorists to pay a £5 daily fee to travel into central London - which could raise £150m a year and cut congestion by 15% - might not now happen until 2004".
UPDATE...... 26/02/2002 Ken Livingstone has just announced that he is going ahead with a £5.00 charge for drivers heading in to Central London.
This is now expected to reduce congestion in London by up to 15%. The congestion charges will cover 8 square miles of the City Centre. Buses Taxis and motorbikes will be exempt from the charges. £150 million pounds is expected to be raised. If successful other cities may follow with trials.
The RAC has already said it "has concerns about any scheme introducing nationwide tolls".
Commission for Integrated Transport Report
See News Story 02/06/2002 New Transport Minister Alisdair Darling
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