Road tolls could cut congestion and pollution
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Tolls on Britain's roads could cut congestion by 44 per cent and significantly reduce pollution levels, according to a new report by an influential Government commission.
The Commission for Integrated Transport's (CfIT) report, published tomorrow, proposes a shift from general tax paid to the Government towards a direct charge to use the road network – but only during peak traffic times.
The study predicts the measure would reduce the amount of traffic by 5 per cent at times when congestion is at its worst. Charges would have to be levied on only 37 per cent of all car journeys. It could cut the time we spend as a nation in traffic jams each year by more than 25,000 years.
CfIT believes its proposed system will help cut pollution and associated health problems. Professor David Begg, chairman of CfIT, said: "An extra bonus will be the benefits the new system would bring in terms of both cutting pollution and potentially reducing social exclusion.
"We have reached the point where congestion is seriously blighting the lives of an increasing number of people. We cannot build our way out of the problem, as the Government's transport White Paper acknowledges. We need to look at initiatives that have worked in other aspects of daily life."
The report urges the Government to bring roads into line with other demand-led utilities – electricity, airlines, trains and telephones – by giving people a choice between paying premium prices for peak times and cheaper charges at all other times.
"Our starting point was that roads are the only public utility that is free at the point of use. So everyone wants to use the most popular roads at the same time. Result: gridlock. There has to be a better way. The public debate must start now," said Professor Begg.
As Ken Livingstone, the London Mayor, this week announces Britain's first congestion charges, which will mean motorists paying £5 to drive into the capital, CfIT said it was time that users of quieter roads stopped subsidising rush-hour commuters.
The new system would work by fitting all cars with a small unit linked to a GPS navigation system. Vehicles would be charged according to the road space they used and the time at which used it.
Variable charges would depend on the amount of congestion on a particular road. Tolls would be collected via a smart card in the car, or billed in the same way that mobile phones are now.
CfIT warns that the concept could not be implemented in full until public transport improves.
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