Road pricing trials given go ahead

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

The government has confirmed that road pricing trials will take place across the country early next year.

Involving hundreds of drivers, the trials will take place in four locations with every person involved having a satellite tracking device fitted to their vehicle. A shadow account will then have payments deducted automatically as the miles are clocked up.

Despite previous statements to the contrary, the transport minister Paul Clark confirmed that the trials would go ahead. Initial plans said that drivers would be charged a range of prices on a per mile basis, the highest estimated at £1.30. Factors like time of day, direction of travel and the level of congestion would also make prices on certain roads go up or down. Drivers would then be able to check their bills online.

A major concern over the road pricing plans was the driver's privacy and the government's ability to track movements. It is hoped the systems being trialled will overcome this as they just log the number of miles driven at each rate and not the driver's location.

"Nobody will thank us if, as a government, we do not look at every option. Any form of road pricing must address people's concerns around fairness and privacy," Clark said.

"If we sit back and do nothing you can be sure that economic growth will lead to gridlock."

No dates for a nationwide rollout of the scheme have been confirmed.