The National Alliance Against Tolls has renewed its calls for the M6 Toll to be taken over by the Highways Agency.

Motorists are avoiding the road, leaving it “virtually empty”, according to the group.

A spokesman said: “Traffic will be lower on many roads due to high fuel prices, but the West Midlands continues to suffer congestion while there is this virtually empty motorway.

“If the toll were removed then the road could take all the through traffic. It is a mystery why motorists and businesses who are paying a billion pounds a week in roads taxes have to continue to suffer.”

The comments come after quarterly figures released on Friday revealed a downturn in daily traffic on the toll road compared with 2007’s figures.
Midland Expressway Ltd reported average daily traffic rates of 41,635 for the period April 2008 - June 2008, a 13.2 per cent drop on traffic levels in the same quarter last year.

The NAAT yesterday said average traffic rates from July 2007-June 2008 show that “the road has had its worst year since it opened at the end of 2003.”

However, Midland Expressway Ltd pointed out that some of last year’s daily traffic rates were “positively impacted” by roadworks on the M6 motorway from October 2006-July 2007, making comparison with this year’s rates difficult.