Roads minister Paul Clark
Plans for ‘spy-in-the-sky’ road pricing have been disrupted after a council refused to take part in trials. The councillor responsible for implementing the trial reportedly said the scheme could ‘penalise’ motorists and immediately called a meeting with roads minister Paul Clark.
The trials are being carried out across the country and are being carried out by four different companies. Ministers have suggested charging motorists £1.34 a mile on the busiest roads at peak times and less on smaller roads at other times.
After two trials the bill to taxpayers is estimated to stand at £10m, and that figure is set to rise considerably. Essex County Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transportation, Cllr Norman Hume, said that he had written to Clark to demand more details on the road pricing trials.
He said: ‘I would have significant concerns about any possible trials taking place in Essex. We cannot support something that has the potential to unfairly penalise motorists in this way. I would like to understand how the Government intends to consult local authorities on the use of roads in their area.
‘Local decisions affecting local residents should be taken by their locally-elected representatives. A large part of Essex is rural, and for many residents the only option is to use their car to carry out their normal, everyday activities.’
A Department of Transport spokesman said the scheme would not necessarily go ahead. He said: ‘These voluntary trials will help inform the work of those local authorities who are considering taking forward local congestion charging.’
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