PROPOSALS to introduce tolls on one of Britain's busiest motorways would cause "chaos" and "a nightmare situation" without other improvements to the road network, motoring organisations warned today.
PLANS are being discussed by local transport authorities to introduce road charges on the M62, which crosses the country from Liverpool to Hull, it has been reported.
Leaked minutes from discussions organised by the Northern Way group - a collaboration between three development agencies in the region - seen by The Observer and Yorkshire Post newspapers, indicate the scheme would include charging for the use of specific lanes and limiting lorries to the use of the inside lane.
The Executive Director of the RAC foundation, Edmund King, said: "The motorway is already heavily congested and it is the only real route over the Pennines. One of the dangers is that if you only have a toll on the M62 and not in the wider corridor, you will get diversion on to unsuitable roads, which will cause chaos and isn't good for the environment."
An AA spokesperson said: "If you're going to have charging, you need to have some benefit from it such as an extra lane to ease congestion on what is already an extremely overcrowded route. People won't pay to sit in the same queue.
"It would be nightmare situation if motorists were pushed off the route. There are very few alternatives to this crowded road across the Pennines, and they are unthinkable."
He added: "Unless the road transport network in this region is thought about intelligently, we're going to see damage to the North's economy in the long term."
Mr King echoed the need for "some sort of payback" for motorists if charging were introduced, in the form of a reduction in fuel duty or vehicle excise duty or road widening.
And he called on the Government to implement co-ordinated and intelligent" national strategy to ensure that is the case.
He said: "We do accept that with congestion getting worse we will have to look pretty seriously at road pricing in the future. But you can't do any of this without Government leadership. You can't introduce tolls in isolation.
"If the Government are serious about road pricing, they need to set up an independent commission to oversee this to ensure the pricing is fair and equitable and the money goes back into transport. It's only then the public will trust them to deliver.
The Shadow Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, today said he sympathised with Mr King's comments and attacked the Government's strategy on road pricing.
He said: "I have every sympathy with what the RAC are saying.
"The Government's road strategy is in a state of chaos, it's all over the place.
He added: "Introducing a toll on the M62, which is the only major thoroughfare across the Pennines, without creating extra capacity elsewhere is potentially disastrous.
"And worryingly, all the train operators along the same route are also very congested.
"The ensuing chaos could seriously affect the region's economy."
Mr Grayling continued: "We wouldn't go as far as to call for an independent commission at this stage. But the Conservatives are looking at road pricing options to come up with something more sensible than anything the Government is currently putting forward."
The leaked minutes are also said to suggest the Department for Transport would 'welcome' consideration of a 'unified charging scheme in the M62 corridor' by the Northern Way.
A Department for Transport spokesman today said: "Regional bodies can apply for funding from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) to look in to congestion-solving measures. If the Northern Way group have done any analysis of the potential benefits of road pricing in the north, the department would be interested to see it."
Vince Taylor, the Northern Way director of implementation, told The Observer the June meeting was exploratory, but the organisation intended to put together firm proposals for an M62 toll in the near future.
What do you think of the plans? Have your say.
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I travel across to Halifax and Leeds from Stockport to see family and friends. At the moment I use the M62. If tolls are introduced I will be using some of the alternative roads which I used before the M62 was built.
I do not agree with(toll) on any of the freeways that we enjoy in this country. This appears to be a fix for the heavy traffic which uses this motorway.
I like many others, travelled further afield to get a job. I used to travel from Leeds to Manchester every day for years, until it became possible to move here.
A man working in Manchester had to move to Bradford or loose his job when the firm moved. A few years later the firm moved back to Manchester and he had to travel each day from Bradford in order to stay employed. This is one of many stories.
The decline in the rail transport led to these goods going by road, increasing traffic.
the goverment should look for other ways of raising money instead of hitting the motorist all the time, shut the borders stop immigrants coming in so we dont have to pay for them and the ones here already cut their benefits cause theyre not putting anything into this country just fleesing us and instead of keeping people like huntley and sutcliffe alive just hang them so taxpayers dont have to pay for there existance either
It is time to let the powers that be, know that people are prepared to openly defy any attempt at road user charging. It would be the poll tax over again and they know it. If this story has been leaked then it is probably to divert attention from another issue.
I have just remembered the story that they are trying to cover up - SPEED IS ONLY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN 5 PERCENT OF ALL ACCIDENTS.
Another way to try and fill the holes in the economy created by a useless goverment. Sack half the MP's and all the MEP'S and that will provide enough saved capital to fill those holes in the economy.
In Germany Motorway Tolls came into force after many teething troubles.The equipment was supplied by an Austrian Company.We now have a large number of Trucks using main roads,dual carriageways.driving through built up areas.The situation is getting worse.All because of Toll dodging.Was it worth it?
At last, some positive signs that something will be done to reduce congestion on the M62, and also reduce CO2 emissions.
I hope the money raised will be invested in public transport along the route.
After sitting on the M62 for 2+ hrs a day on average I feel that the 60% taxation I pay on fuel per litre and the £200 a year I pay on road tax should be enough. I dont sit on the M62 because im too lazy to get the unreliable, uncomfortable, and overcrowded train every day, I do it becuase I have no choice due the nature of my job, and to hear that I could potentially have to fork out more to go to and from work is appalling. If i charge was introduced its safe to say that none of the generated cash would be spent on the M62 itself! Perhaps it would be spent on a 4th lane marked "immagrants, asylum seekers and refugee's fast lane only"