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Road pricing scheme 'on verge of collapse'
By David Millward, Transport Editor
Last Updated: 2:56am GMT 17/12/2007

The country's first urban road pricing pilot scheme is on the point of collapse, jeopardising the future of one of Labour's flagship transport policies, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.

With the Government having already shelved a national scheme, it is understood that the proposed local charging experiment in Greater Manchester is now in serious doubt following a cooling of interest from local councils.

Cambridgeshire, the only other area to express any interest in road pricing trials, is also having second thoughts with the controlling Tory group on the county council split over the issue.

The Department for Transport had hoped to announce next month which areas would run the pilot schemes, with trials starting in about a year.

But despite high levels of funding on offer, there has been an embarrassing shortage of candidates with only Cambridgeshire and Greater Manchester having expressed any interest. The West Midlands decided against participating and Shropshire county council pulled out last week.

None of the other six candidates who expressed an initial interest have come forward with detailed proposals.

Greater Manchester had proposed placing an inner and outer cordon around Manchester with motorists paying about £5 a day to commute in and out of the city centre during the rush hour.

But the support of seven out of 10 members of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities is needed for the scheme to go ahead. Tory-controlled Trafford and Liberal Democrat-run Stockport, oppose the scheme, and they were joined by Bury last week.

Even Bolton - where Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary, is a local MP - is understood to be less than enthusiastic. The local Labour group is refusing to give unconditional backing to the proposals, saying that it will take a position only after seeing the full details of what is planned and what public transport improvements are on offer.

Initially, the Government hoped to run trials in a mix of areas, with conurbations showing how road pricing could work in cities and rural authorities such as Cambridgeshire demonstrating its impact in more sparsely-populated areas. As things stand it could be left with neither.

John Spellar, a former transport minister and long-standing Labour opponent of road pricing, said he was not surprised by the difficulties.

"It was always clear that there would be a public reaction and councils would reflect this.

"The Department for Transport needs to get away from this fantasy policy and work with local authorities to ease congestion."

The Conservatives, who support locally-run congestion-charging and road pricing schemes, blamed the Government for the current disarray.

It was always clear that there would be a public reaction and councils would reflect this.

Greater Manchester is now in serious doubt following a cooling of interest from local councils.