Government hints at road pricing U-turn

Fleet operators are likely to welcome hints by the new Secretary of State for Transport that the government may be rethinking plans to introduce national road pricing - but there is still concern at alternative proposals.

Ruth Kelly is reported as saying that congestion is a real economic issue for British business and the government was committed to looking at plans to limit it.

But she suggested that the government’s focus would be on local solutions rather than an all-encompassing network.

Kelly said there is no current commitment to introduce national road pricing but the fact is that sitting in traffic jams is no good for commuters and it’s no good for businesses.

Two years ago the notion of road pricing was first mooted by then Transport Secretary, Alastair Darling. His vision was for a nationwide scheme with all cars tracked using satellites and black boxes – a proposal that prompted a storm of protests with nearly two million people signing an online petition against the idea.

However, fleet operators will now be concerned that the lack of a unified scheme, with many cities or regions introducing their own systems, could lead to a huge administrative burden.

There are going to be tough choices ahead, added Kelly.