Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions.
See when traffic will be lightest
Our traffic forecaster can help get you there quicker
Policy statement on treatment of road pricing in appraisal of trunk road schemes progressing through statutory procedures - June 2007
Department for Transport - June 2007
The Government is developing its road pricing policy. In its 2005 manifesto, the Government said that, "because of the long-term nature of transport planning, we will seek political consensus in tackling congestion, including examining the potential of moving away from the current system of motoring taxation towards a national system of road pricing."
In the first instance, Government is working with interested local authorities to bring forward local pricing schemes to tackle local congestion problems. It is only once evidence is obtained from established local schemes that any decision on national road pricing would be made.
Road pricing on sections of the trunk road network is only possible in very limited circumstances. The Government has no plans at this time to seek the necessary legal powers to price more widely on the trunk roads.
As Sir Rod Eddington stated in his report to Government (Eddington Transport Study, December 2006), if widespread road pricing were introduced, the nature and location of challenges on the roads would be altered.
However, the nature of the congestion problem on the strategic road network indicates that there is likely to be a case for additional road capacity even if road pricing is introduced.
Given the uncertainty around road pricing in the long term, Eddington has said that there would be merit in testing the case for long-term investments in an environment where pricing is approaching.
Given that no decisions have been taken on pricing beyond the principle of local schemes and that further decisions will not be taken before those local schemes have been implemented, it is premature to plan on the assumption that there will be widespread road pricing in place when currently planned schemes are completed.
Furthermore, even if a decision were taken in due course to introduce widespread road pricing it is impossible to say now how such pricing would operate and what would be its impact on traffic.
The core scenario for the current appraisal framework does not assume the introduction of road pricing. Given the circumstances described, this must remain the right basis for assessing schemes currently being progressed through their statutory processes.
You can also download this Department for Transport policy in PDF format:
