MPs urge Government rethink on national road pricing

Government should look again at national road pricing, MPs have urged.

The Commons Transport Committee said few local authorities were considering their own schemes and that more needed to be done to tackle congestion.

National road pricing plans – which could include charges for bikes – were shelved in March after 1.8 million people signed a petition.

The committee said the Department for Transport was relying on local authorities to start their own schemes using government funding but that only two regions had applied.

It urged: “We therefore recommend that the Government re-examine its policy with respect to national road pricing.”

A report by the committee, published today, said: “Despite the apparent high priority attached by the Government to a national road pricing scheme, the Department has made little progress and favours the implementation of local charging schemes initially.

“Since the petition against road pricing on the No.10 website, which attracted some 1.8 million virtual signatures, much of the responsibility for delivering congestion charging has been placed on local government through the Transport Innovation Fund…

“However, only Manchester and Cambridge have submitted detailed bids for congestion TIF funding; and these might yet be defeated locally.”

Committee Chair Louise Ellman said: “The Department must be clear about identifying its main priorities and showing how progress can be measured.”