Out-Law News 2 min. read

Government could introduce toll roads to generate economic growth, newspaper claims


The Government is planning to build a new network of toll roads to relieve the UK's congested road network and kick start the economy, a national newspaper has claimed.

A report in the Daily Mail newspaper said that dedicated 'express lanes' would be constructed alongside busy sections of motorways and main roads. Drivers using the lanes would then be billed by journey using an automatic number plate recognition system, the paper said.

The plans could be introduced as part of an updated version of the Treasury's National Infrastructure Plan (NIP), which is widely expected to be unveiled alongside the Chancellor's Autumn Statement next week.

A spokesperson for the Treasury said that "the image of tolled fast lanes all over the country is getting far too carried away".

However the spokesperson acknowledged the possibility that similar schemes could be introduced. "The Government has always said we would look at schemes which would fund new capacity and improve the UK's road infrastructure through tolling," she said.

Jon Hart, an infrastructure law expert with Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said the possibility of toll road charging was a "further sign of the times".

"Road charging, despite some initial hiccups, has proven to be part of the landscape for London road users – however, away from the capital it has been a different story, even though necessary enabling legislation exists for local authorities. Whether this approach can be rolled out to form a national model is another matter altogether, which will probably come into sharper relief as the government's cuts make themselves felt more keenly for both the Department for Transport and the Highways Agency," he said.

Some categories of motor vehicle have had to pay to travel at certain times of the day within London's Congestion Charge Zone, which was introduced in February 2003. The money raised from the congestion charge is invested in the city's transport system.

Plans to introduce similar schemes in other UK cities have been rejected by voters, most notably in Manchester where 70% of residents voted against the introduction of a congestion charge scheme in December 2008.

Hart said that the 'regulated asset base' approach, where fees for gaining access to the use of an asset under Government control are centrally regulated, had been shown to work in other sectors and could be adapted. However, he warned that the introduction of charging could lead to higher standards being demanded by motorists.

"A paradox may be that for the end user – the motorist – there may be a greater expectation as to what he or she can expect to receive in terms of journey time and jam-busting," he said.

The NIP was initially published in October 2010. It outlines the scale of the challenges currently facing UK infrastructure and the major investment that is needed to underpin sustainable growth in the country.

Press reports have suggested that an updated version of the NIP could raise the possibility of using pension funds to finance infrastructure projects once they reach the operational stage.

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