Archived press release

Road charging needed to cut traffic

8 June 2003

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling has indicated that road pricing is needed to cut congestion on Britain's roads.

Mr Darling told today's Observer "You can't build yourself out of the problem that we face. We have a choice in the next 25 to 30 years: either we build more and motorways - astronomically expensive, environmentally damaging, and I doubt if we could actually do it - or we take a radically different look at how we manage the system. That is where road pricing comes in. I am convinced that unless we look at this possibility, then future generations will not forgive us.''

Friends of the Earth's Transport Campaigner Roger Higman said

"At long last the Government appears to accept that road-pricing is needed to tackle the volume of traffic on our roads. But it isn't the only answer. There should be far greater investment in affordable, safe and reliable alternatives to the car to cut congestion and help tackle climate change. This investment must be a priority.

"Labour's transport policy has been a complete shambles. Despite promising to cut traffic and get people on to public transport, it has done precious little to achieve this. Motoring costs have fallen under Labour, whilst the cost of using buses and trains has risen. On top of this it is building bigger roads that will lead to more traffic and more congestion. But if Mr Darling accepts that we need to change direction, there may still be a way forward."

Despite promising to cut traffic levels [1] in 1997, the Government has done little to achieve this:

• The cost of motoring has fallen under Labour, whilst the cost of using buses and trains has risen [2];

• The Government abandoned the fuel price escalator following protests from motoring groups;

• Labour has offered only luke-warm support to the few local authorities that have introduced congestion-charging;

• Billions of pounds of road-widening schemes were announced in December last year - even though the Government stated in its 1998 Transport White Paper "people know we cannot build our way out of congestion with new roads";

• The Government has admitted that road congestion is unlikely to improve by the end of the decade. Since 1997, traffic levels have grown by over 7% - representing almost an extra 21 billion vehicle miles [3].

Notes

[1] When Labour first came to power they promised to cut traffic growth. On 6 June 1997 John Prescott was reported in the Guardian as saying:

"I will have failed ...if in five years there are not many more people using public transport and far fewer journeys by car. It is a tall order but I want you to hold me to it." For more info on this statement see: www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/transport/news/prescott/

2] Taking 1974 as a baseline (and discounting inflation), the real change in costs of travelling by car, train and bus.

Hansard 20 Nov 2002 see:
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo021120/text/21120w20.htm

[3] Traffic in Great Britain: Quarter 4, 2002' can be found on the Department for Transport's website at www.transtat.dft.gov.uk/tables/2002/qtraff02/q4_02/pdf/q402traf.pdf (PDF†)

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust