Road pricing 'inevitable'

Ever since I started teaching Transport Economics in 1995 road pricing has seen to be 'about 10 years away'. It is a sensible move that will allow better management of the road space we have, allow the economy to function more efficiently and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So its still '10 years away'.

Now Transport Minister Normal Baker says it is inevitable. Not for environmental reasons, but because the move away from carbon based fuels will reduce government revenue from excise duties on fuel! The government can't afford that.

As a consequence the road fund licence (the tax disc) will also be scrapped and people will find themselves charged according to the distance travelled, via GPS technology. Hopefully there will be a scheme that charges 'by the time of day and level of congestion' rather than simple tolls.  

The details of Minister Baker's ideas and some commentary is in the Sunday Express. Who would have thought we would ever look there?

The Express article is here