Another M6 Toll Road?
Govt proposes yet another toll road - was the first one really a success?
Despite the opening of the M6 Toll Road the Government are still looking at options for managing the immense amount of traffic on the old M6. The M6 Toll now regularly carries 40,000 vehicles on a weekday and 30,000 a day at weekends but is still operating at a fraction of its potential capacity with almost no freight carriers opting to use the route.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling revealed a new consultation exercise last week which looks at the possibility of opening another toll road as an alternative to widening the existing M6 by one lane each way.
Traffic levels on the old M6 have only been reduced by 10%, with the biggest benefits on Friday afternoons. With the toll road only attracting 10% of the traffic it might seem a little odd to be looking at another one. The Department for Transport's new consultation document is favouring this solution, claiming:
- More choice, with faster, more reliable journeys for all - drivers could choose to use the faster toll road or use the existing M6.
- Those who chose to pay would free up space on the current M6.
- Roadworks without delays - construction of the Expressway would not affect traffic on the existing M6, whereas widening could take up to 8 years.
- A better route for business - the Expressway could be designed for long distance journeys, possibly with fewer junctions.
- More road capacity, less cost - the expressway would provide two lanes each way. Widening the existing M6 by one lane each way would cost 10% more than an Expressway with two lanes each way. One option could be to seek a private sector concessionaire to fund, construct and operate the Expressway for a set period.
Darling commented last week: "Given the success of the M6 Toll in improving congestion, I believe that it is now right to look at extending the tolled motorway and building a new Expressway to run parallel with the M6 between Birmingham and Manchester, as an alternative to widening the existing road. "
Link : DfT Consultation Documents
They should be building congestion free, toll free NEW motorways to relieve congestion anyway, as part of the 40 odd billion we give them as motorists every year.
Do they really thing tax payers are going to pay again for what they already pay for?
Duh!
Teds article said:Thats the crux of it. Hauliers aren't using it because of cost. Why doesn't Darling look into why freight isn't using it at all and address that instead?
The M6 Toll now regularly carries 40,000 vehicles on a weekday and 30,000 a day at weekends but is still operating at a fraction of its potential capacity with almost no freight carriers opting to use the route.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling revealed a new consultation exercise last week which looks at the possibility of opening another toll road as an alternative to widening the existing M6 by one lane each way.
I agree, the section between Brum and Manchest-oh needs looking at too but if all the lorries used the Toll Road wherever possible it would be a start.
I think this proposed toll road is probably more likely to be success than the existing M6 Toll. A lot of the traffic on the M6 past Brum is going to be local traffic, or traffic from one of the several M'ways all converging there. So a lot of it can't use the M6 Toll as it doesn't go where they want to. However, a toll road to relieve the M6 between Brum and Manc should actually be able to relieve quite a bit of the traffic as long as there are regular enough interchanges between the two.
Even if it's not, I'll enjoy the clear road for the extra 60 miles or whatever it is.
What the Gov are doing is introducing a choice between a toll road and a free road going to the same place.
No one is gonna really complain about that are they.
In time there will be a number of toll roads in common use but not to the degree the free roads are used.
The Gov will then introduce tolls to the free roads as well thereby deflecting any major crisis that would be caused if all motorways became toll-roads over night.
I would like to see the M6 toll-road free for freight leaving the free M6......free for motorists.
Motorist hating nonce said:
Darling commented last week: "Given the success of the M6 Toll in improving congestion..."
Pistonheads said:
Traffic levels on the old M6 have only been reduced by 10%
If Mr Darling is so keen on reducing congestion, and a 10% reduction is a success, surely it would make sense to make the toll road free to drive on, therefore reducing congestion by a staggering 50%?
Sorry, brief moment of "wishful thinking" there...
>> Edited by branflakes on Monday 12th July 22:17
thanuk said:
Thats the crux of it. Hauliers aren't using it because of cost. Why doesn't Darling look into why freight isn't using it at all and address that instead?
Because the pricing is deliberate policy to keep the lorries off of the toll road.
Of course - private companies are not stupid - when a typical artic truck fully loaded does as much damage to their road as 12,000 cars it makes financial sense to discourage trucks. Badly loaded trucks even more so.
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