Government considers “pay-as-you-drive” road charges
New road charges are being considered by the Government in order to cut congestion on Britain’s roads.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling told several Sunday newspapers that a new road pricing scheme could replace road tax and petrol duty.
If the scheme is adopted, motorists would pay a set rate per mile, which would vary according to the time of day and route taken by drivers.
Under current estimates, motorists could pay as little as 2p per mile for driving on quiet rural roads out of the rush hour, while those travelling on motorways at peak times could pay as much as £1.34 per mile.
The toll would be enforced through a satellite system, with a “black box” fitted to cars and lorries tracking each vehicle’s journey.
Commenting ahead of a speech to the Social Market Foundation on Thursday, the Transport Secretary warned that Britain “could face gridlock within two decades” unless action is taken to cut congestion.
“You could dance around this for years, but every year the problem is getting worse,” said Mr Darling.
“We have got to do everything we can during the course of this Parliament to decide whether or not we go with road pricing.”
Plans for a pilot road-pricing scheme in the Leeds area will be implemented within the next five years, with a national scheme coming into effect within ten years if public reaction is favourable.
The Department of Transport insists the scheme would be fairer because drivers who travel greater distances would pay the most.
But a spokesman for the Environment Agency warned BBC News that replacing fuel duty would remove the incentive for people to use green vehicles.
“There would be no difference between me driving on the motorway in a green car as opposed to a five-litre Jaguar,” said Nick Rijke.
The number of cars on Britain’s roads is expected to increase from 25.8 million last year, to 31.9m by 2015, according to the Commission for Integrated Transport.
