New tolls for we?

A chorus of disapproval in opposition to paying for improvements to the A14 by means of a toll is gradually making itself heard.

All of us who live to the east of Huntingdon and Cambridge have suffered the agonies of driving along this dismal route; (to call it a road would be to flatter it).  Now central government has decreed that the route can be improved, but only if it becomes subject to a toll.

This would be 'sort of OK' if there were a reasonable alternative route for motorists, but this is not envisaged.  So here we will be in Suffolk with no sensible free route to the Midlands and the North - the modern equivalent of living in a mediaeval town where you had to pay the gatekeeper at the toll gate for entry.  In addition to the inherent unfairness to individual Suffolk drivers, payment will be an unjust burden on business in East Anglia.  Particularly hard hit would be the Port of Felixstowe, which is already seeing growing competition from new ports in Essex and along the South Coast.

Graham Newman, the Cabinet Member for Roads and Transport has stated in a leaflet recently published by the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce that opposes the proposals:-

‘We support improvements being made to the A14 but tolling the road will create unfairness.  It is a toll uniquely on Suffolk business – and that is an unfair tax on the county.  The Government must listen to the voice of business and rethink their tolling proposals’.

It does seem wrong to subject East Anglia to this burden.  It is clear that roads in the UK across the board need improvement and investment, but this would be best achieved by scrapping road tax and imposing a ‘pay as you drive’ tariff on all road users.  I am sure that the technology is now available for this.  Smaller more economical cars could pay a lower rate and there could still be exemptions for vehicles deemed to be environmentally friendly.  Urban roads, and others such as motorways that need higher maintenance, could be more expensive than country routes.  There may also be a way of extracting money from foreign lorries.  

Such a scheme would be an additional reason for all of us to consider whether a journey is really necessary,  would support the use of public transport (which could be exempt), and would impact fairly on all regions in the country.