Motorists face 'pay-as-you-drive' taxation

LONDON - British motorists face paying a new charge for every mile they drive in a revolutionary scheme to be introduced within two years.

Drivers will pay according to when and how far they travel throughout the country's road network under proposals being developed by the Government.

Alistair Darling, the Secretary of State for Transport, revealed that pilot areas will be selected in just 24 months' time as he made clear his determination to press ahead with a national road pricing scheme.

Each of Britain's 24 million vehicles would be tracked by satellite if a variable "pay-as-you-drive" charge replaces the current road tax.

Darling warned that unless action is taken now the country "could face gridlock" within two decades.

Research suggests national road pricing could increase the capacity of Britain's network by as much as 40 per cent at a stroke, he said.

The rapid uptake of satellite navigation in British cars is helping usher the new "pay-as-you-drive" charge much sooner than had been expected. Although a fully operational national scheme is still considered to be a decade away, Darling said local schemes could be up and running within five years.

Manchester is considered a front-runner, with authorities in the Midlands and London also pressing to be considered for a 2.5 billion ($6.5 billion) fund to introduce the change.

Most of the necessary technology already exists. Lorries will be tracked by satellite and charged accordingly from 2007.

The main obstacle to tracking Britain's 24 million private vehicles is public opinion, and Darling is determined to start making the case.

"You could dance around this for years but every year the problem is getting worse," he said.

"We have got to do everything we can during the course of this Parliament to decide whether or not we go with road pricing. This will span several parliaments and you need 'buy-in' not just from political parties but also from the general public.

"Drivers have got to see that they benefit," he said. He cited the London congestion fee - which charges motorists a daily fee to enter a central zone, as delivering a "general benefit, not a particular benefit".

He said that worked on the principle of "I don't drive my car - someone else gets a better bus", and a road-pricing scheme had to ensure there's "something in it" for users.

An official feasibility study suggests motorists could pay up to 1.34 for each mile they travel during peak hours on the most congested roads.

The study said the highest fee would affect only 0.5 per cent of motorists, those driving during the rush hour on very congested routes.

The likely cost of an 8am journey from the outskirts of London to the city centre would be about 10.

Some campaigners, meanwhile, are pressing for levies on individual roads immediately.

That, however, would force traffic on to quieter roads and entrench opposition to a national scheme. However, new roads are likely to see innovations such as car-share lanes, available to single drivers at a premium.

- INDEPENDENT