Dear Editor, In 2007, the government backed down after 1.8 million people signed a petition against road pricing.
Wary of that, the newly-elected Coalition Government promised not to bring in road pricing (other than for lorries) or even prepare for it.
Although the Government would consider levying tolls on totally new major roads like motorways, we were assured that our existing roads would not be tolled.
There is now the threat of major routes in England effectively being sold off, and the public being charged to use existing roads.
The Government has quietly started engaging with local authorities with a view to softening up public opinion.
The driving public has paid something like £500 billion into the roads since 1997, with only a fraction spent back. To charge us even more for driving on inadequate roads would be adding insult to injury.
There is actually money for improving our roads, only it is spent on the wrong things – like HS2 and financing roads in other developed countries.
The Government should get its priorities right instead of reaching into our pockets. I encourage readers to write to their MP to say “Can’t pay, won’t pay”.
Brian Gregory
Chairman, Association of British Drivers
