User:Regan123/Road pricing in the United Kingdom

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Road pricing in the United Kingdom currently takes the form of congestion charging and certain other tolls at specific bridges or tunnels. The government has proposed introducing a national road pricing scheme which has proved to be controversial, attracting significant opposition from the public.

Prior to the 20th century many roads were tolled to pay for their upkeep. In the late 19th Century these were replaced with a system of state funded maintenance.

Contents 1 Background 2 History 3 Proposals 4 Developments 5 Reaction 6 See also 7 References

[edit] Background

Congestion is projected to rise 45% by 2030.^[1] The number of vehicles registered in the UK had risen from 20 in 1990^[2] to 27.8 million in 2007 with a Department for Transport study estimating that this would increase to 33.5 million in 2031.^[3]

[edit] History

See also: History of toll roads in the United Kingdom

From the late 18th to the early 21st century tolls were generally only applied to major bridges and tunnels, for example the Dartford Crossing^[4] & Forth Road Bridge.^[5] There were also only two public toll roads (Roydon Road in Stanstead Abbots and College Road in Dulwich) together with another five or so private toll-roads.^[6] The UK's first privately operated motorway opened in 2003. The M6 Toll (originally the Birmingham Northern Relief Road) is designed to relieve the M6 through Birmingham, which is one of the most heavily used roads in the country.^[7]

In 2003 the Dartford Crossing construction debt was paid off. However, the government decided to continue to charge most crossing users to keep congestion levels down.^[8]. As with congestion charging schemes, all proceeds must be used for transport purposes. In one year this money amounted to £60 million.^[9]

[edit] Proposals

Extensive studies are being done on introducing a scheme for all UK vehicles, with an aim to implementation at the earliest around 2013. In October 2005 the UK government suggested they explore "piggy-backing" road pricing on private sector technologies, such as pay-as-you-go insurance (also known as Pay As You Drive PAYD).^[specify] This method would avoid a large-scale public sector procurement exercise, but such products are unlikely to penetrate the mass market.^[specify] If introduced, this scheme would likely see a charge being levied per kilometre depending on the time of day, the road being driven along, and perhaps the type of vehicle.^[specify] For example, a large car driving along the western section of the M25 in rush hour would pay a high charge; a small car driving along a rural lane would pay a much lower charge.^[specify] The very highest charges would be likely in the most congested urban areas.^[specify] It is expected that rural motorists would benefit the most from such a scheme, perhaps by paying less through road pricing than they do at present through petrol and car taxes, whereas urban motorists would pay much more than they presently do.^[specify] However, this is highly dependent on whether such a scheme would be designed to be either revenue neutral or congestion neutral. A revenue neutral scheme would replace (at least in part) petrol and vehicle taxes, and would be such that Treasury revenue under the new scheme would equal the revenue from current taxes. A congestion neutral scheme would be designed so that growth in congestion levels would stop as a result of the new charges; the latter scheme would require significantly higher (and increasingly higher) charges than the revenue neutral scheme and so would be unpopular with the UK's 30 million motorists.^[specify] The carbon emission consequence of moving from fuel duty to a charge per mile has been raised as a concern by some environmentalists, as has any diversionary response from heavily trafficked (and hence more expensive) roads.^[specify] The UK government announced funding for road pricing research in 7 local areas in November 2005.

In June 2005, Transport Secretary Alistair Darling announced the current proposals to introduce road pricing.^[1][10] Every vehicle would be fitted with a satellite receiver to calculate charges, with prices ranging from 2p per mile on uncongested roads to £1.34 on the most congested roads at peak times,^[11] and every driver would be charged for every mile.^[12] The estimated cost of fitting the satellite receiver black box would be £600.^[13]

The government estimated estimated that a scheme could be rolled out between 2015 and 2020 after a pilot scheme using volunteers around 2010.^[1]

[edit] Developments

The Highways Agency began installing a £500million National Roads Telecommunications Services to improve road side communications and provide traffic information to road users. One of the contractors, Hyder Consulting said that the equipment could support a national road pricing scheme.^[14]

[edit] Reaction

The initial reaction to the scheme by experts was varied.

The Conservative Party's Alan Duncan expressed concern over the implementation of the technology and possible effects on privacy but said that this could be a way of managing road use.^[1] The AA Motoring Trust and the Independent Transport Commission argued that whilst the scheme was technically feasible it may prove politically controversial.^[2] Concerns were also expressed that whilst it would reduce congestion during rush hours in urban hours, it could increase road use in the countryside out of peak hours.^[2] The head of the Environment Agency expressed concern that moving charges away from fuel duty could deter people from buying more environmentally friendly vehicles.^[1] The RAC Foundation expressed provisional support as long as the scheme replaced the fuel and excise duties.^[2]

The Conservatives' proposals for road pricing are a mixture of local schemes.^[13]

A 2007 online petition against road pricing, started by Peter Roberts and hosted by the British government,^[15] attracted over 1.8 million signatures,^[16] equivalent to 6% of the entire driving population. Over 150,000 signatures were added during the last day before the petition closed on February 20, 2007.^[specify] In reply, the prime minister e-mailed the petitioners outlining his rationale, denying that the proposals were to introduce a stealth tax or increase surveillance, and promising a debate before a decision was made as to whether to introduce a national scheme.^[17] In an opinion poll in 2007 74% of those questioned opposed road pricing.^[18]

[edit] See also

• Congestion charging in the United Kingdom

[edit] References