Road pricing schemes for Birmingham and Manchester 'by 2012' » Local Government » 24dash.com

Two of Britain's most congested areas could have road pricing trial schemes in place by 2012/13, MPs have been told.

Officials from the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities said a Manchester road pricing scheme using a tag-and-beacon system might be ready by autumn 2012.

And West Midlands officials told the House of Commons Transport Committee a Birmingham scheme might be in place "around 2012/13".

Association of Greater Manchester Authorities deputy chairman Sir Richard Leese told the committee that Manchester was working towards a distance-based scheme with vehicles entering the city centre being charged at two different points.

He added that it was a "win-win situation" for both motorists and the local authority as the technology being considered would keep both driver charges and administration costs down.

Greater Manchester and the West Midlands are among 10 areas in England which have received Government money to develop possible congestion-beating plans in the hopes of getting finance under the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF).

Getting TIF money for transport improvements is largely dependent on local authorities producing a road pricing or congestion charging scheme.

Both Sir Richard and Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman, who also appeared before the committee, denied that local councils were being "blackmailed" into coming up with demand-management schemes in order to get money for other improvements.

Mr Ladyman also refuted suggestions that road pricing was "the only show in town" and also denied that councils had been told they could "forget" about TIF money unless they brought in some form of demand management.

Earlier this year, around 1.8 million people put their signatures to a Downing Street website petition opposing road charging.

Tonight, Mr Ladyman said that as far as the petition was concerned, the Government's aims had been "grossly misrepresented" by those opposed to road charging.

Yesterday, the Government published a Bill paving the way for local authorities to introduce road pricing pilot schemes.

Under questioning from MPs tonight, Mr Ladyman denied that the Government was putting the onus on local councils to bring in schemes, saying that the furore over the website petition showed the Government was definitely "putting its head on the block" over the issue.

Bringing in some form of road user charging was not going to be easy, he said. He went on: "It's going to be difficult to win people over and it's going to be difficult to deliver it."

Sir Richard said 54% of people in the Greater Manchester area said congestion charging could be justified if there was more investment in public transport. Officials from the West Midlands told the committee that the comparative figure for their area was 42%.

Copyright Press Association 2007.

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