Darling floats possibility of new M6 toll road
The Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, has announced that the Government is considering building a second toll motorway parallel to the M6.
The existing M6 tollroad was started by the Conservative government and completed last year.
In a statement to the House of Commons Mr Darling said that he is considering proposals to build a second toll road, linking to the first, from Birmingham to Manchester.
A consultation on the proposal, which would replace plans to widen the M6, will begin today.
Mr Darling said that the proposed new road will provide motorists and businesses with choice, cutting journey times and doubling the capacity on the route. Mr Darling also stressed that building a new road rather than widening will reduce disruption to motorists.
The Secretary of State told the House that an assessment of social and environmental impacts would be undertaken in order to allow for adverse effects to be mitigated.
Mr Darling also revealed that he has asked the Highways Agency to carry out studies on high occupancy – or car pool- lanes. The idea is imported from the US and Australia where certain lanes are designated for vehicles carrying two or more people to encourage car sharing.
There will be four study areas: the M62 between junctions 25 and 27 near Leeds, the M3 between junctions 3 and 2 near Bagshot and the M1 between junctions 13 and 7 between Milton Keynes and St Albans. At the fourth location, the M61 near Manchester, the hard shoulder would be considered in place of an additional lane, he said.
The announcement drew criticism from the Conservative spokesman Tim Yeo. He criticised the Government’s overall strategy on car use, saying motor taxes had increased along with congestion. He noted that there had been no commitment to new roads or widening the A6 and M6, just more consultation.
Mr Yeo said that in principle he supported the use of car pool lanes, but argued that these should be brought in only where capacity is being increased.
Environmental groups reacted angrily to the suggestion of new road building. The umbrella group Transport 2000 said it left a “black cloud hanging over the English countryside”.
Its director, Stephen Joseph, said: “This is breathtaking in its significance for the environment. The idea that we could build our way out of congestion with new toll motorways was originally called ‘blue skies thinking’ by Lord Birt but it leaves a black cloud hanging over the English countryside and our commitment to tackling climate emissions. It was barmy when Birt suggested it; it’s barmy now.
“Building a new toll M6 would damage countryside, lead to a massive rise in traffic in the long term and a send a carry-on-as-usual message to motorists. Most worryingly it could signal the Government is ready to accept a whole new generation of pay-as-you-go motorways across England.
“Instead of building new motorways, the Government should press ahead with charging on existing roads to reduce traffic and encourage more people to use the alternatives. People want real options in how they travel, not just the choice of two roads.”
