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Title: Road Pricing U turn
Date: 25/06/2009
URL: www.driversalliance.org.uk

Preview: "We definitely are not proceeding with national road user charging in the next Parliament," said Lord Adonis the Secretary of State for Transport.

He went on to say: "It will not be in the manifesto for the next election".

Road pricing was one of New Labour's most heralded projects just 3 years ago and was "inevitable" with plans for 10 regional centres to roll out congestion charging as a forerunner to the national scheme.

However, a petition placed on the Downing Street website was inundated with signatures; so many that it crashed to Downing Street website several times. In just 12 weeks, 1.81 Million people had signed and Road Pricing was under the spotlight as never before.

In theory, it sounds like a good idea, but in practice the arguments in favour simply fall apart...


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Drivers' Alliance - Home page

The Drivers' Alliance began in July 2008 to oppose road pricing and congestion charging which was shown to be deeply unpopular in 2007 when 1.81 Million people signed an online petition against road pricing on the Downing Street website.

Whilst congestion charges and road pricing remain an issue, there are other threats to the freedom to drive a car. 'Demand management' through Workplace Parking Levy's, restricted parking provision, congestion caused by traffic light controlled junctions and a lack of road building targets drivers.

In the UK, motoring related taxes come to about £50 Billion a year but only 12% of this is spent on our roads. This is not enough to provide the capacity needed to reduce congestion and with it, emissions.

It is a political decision where this money is spent but drivers in the UK pay enough tax to have the best roads in the world. Much of the money raised from motorists is spent elsewhere and is often wasted - see HERE

We need investment in roads as well as trains and buses.

It is not fair to drive people out of their cars through higher taxation, ever more stringent enforcement of minor traffic offences, deliberately caused congestion and limiting parking provision.

Road pricing continues to be a threat and congestion charges are still being proposed in some of our cities. The reasons given for these policies is to reduce congestion; but traffic volumes have been falling for many years in urban areas and most of today's congestion is caused by changes to the roads with space being taken for bus lanes and traffic lights halting the free flow of vehicles without justification.

The campaign against Manchester's congestion charge was a great success and showed again that when people are given the chance, they say no to such schemes. The people of Manchester voted against the charging proposals by a margin of 79% even though nearly £3 Billion was going to be spent improving public transport for the area.

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