TIME TO CHANGE DIRECTION ON ROAD PRICING
16 April 2007 - RAC

Unless the Government changes its approach to road pricing, it risks losing the opportunity to win motorists over to a different way of paying for motoring and condemning them to another decade of delay and frustration.

Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce Annual Conference in London today (16), Edmund King, Executive Director of the RAC Foundation, will tell delegates that the Government must start marketing road pricing as a solution to real problems, not just as another way of raising revenue from the road user.

King will tell delegates that the Government’s presentation of the debate is part of the problem. No-one would buy “road pricing” – but they might be interested in subscribing to ''UK DriveTime'' as a package of solutions that motorists actually want.

Motorists who opt into a ''UK DriveTime'' scheme could benefit from reduced fuel duty, congestion avoidance systems, up-to-date parking information, cheaper insurance and e-call technology, which pinpoints the car and calls the emergency services in the event of an accident. The technology to run such a scheme already exists and is being piloted in Oregon, USA.

The RAC Foundation believes that a even a voluntary scheme would have an immediate impact on congestion, as those motorists taking part would become more conscious of the actual cost of each journey through their on-board meter, and so have an incentive to change travel habits. A voluntary scheme would also lead to increased acceptability for road pricing as a concept by reducing fear of the unknown.

King will also argue for an independent body to oversee the scheme. RAC Foundation polling shows that motorists do not trust the Government
alone to introduce and operate road pricing fairly. Support for road pricing increased six-fold when charges were ring-fenced to transport and enforced by such a body.

Edmund King said: “Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas and motorists won’t support road pricing unless they know that it will come as part of a congestion-busting package that will give the UK a first class transport system, for business and personal travel.

“Essential steps to tackle congestion include more flexible public transport, investment in better and safer roads, and a more intelligent use of the existing network.

“A voluntary scheme, like UKDriveTime, introduced over several years, would iron out problems with technology and allow motorists to get used to a very different way of paying for motoring.

“Cars are essential for daily life and will always be the most important means of transport. While pricing can influence the timing and routes of particular journeys, it must not be used to price people off the roads completely.”

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