DfT makes road pricing funds available
Date: 17 January 2008
The Department for Transport (DfT) is planning to provide local authorities with £3.17 million worth of additional funding to help them to develop new road pricing schemes.
A total of £1.5 million will be given to Greater Manchester, whose councils have voted to back road charging, and £1 million will be provided to Cambridgeshire to facilitate pilot schemes in those areas. Hauliers have cautiously welcomed the funding, which could lead to schemes that ease congestion and reduce delays for road freight.
A further £675,000 will be awarded to a West of England partnership, which covers the cities of Bristol, Bath and surrounding areas, as part of the funding unveiled by transport minister Rosie Winterton.
The government has pledged to work alongside the selected authorities on developing systems of road charging and the latest funding comes from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF). However, Ms Winterton has stressed that it does not mean that
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has stated that it remains committed to supporting road pricing schemes that reduce congestion, allow vehicle units to be interoperable between different schemes and show a net benefit to businesses.
A petition placed on the Downing Street website by a Shropshire motorist was signed by more than 1.8 million people last year, indicating strong opposition in Britain to plans by the government to implement a nationwide system of road pricing.
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