‘No viable alternative’ – UK must introduce road pricing

The Transport Select Committee report reaches a stark conclusion that there is no viable alternative to road pricing. The government must act now to plug the gap in the government finances that will result from the uptake in electric vehicles and the resulting loss in vehicle excise duty and fuel duty. Currently, the government faces a perverse disincentive – the more successful it is shifting us to electric vehicles, the worse its finances will be.

Unlike in the past, road pricing would no longer come as a shock to drivers. There are already a number of road user charging schemes up and running around the country, with more to come. Paying to drive is no longer a shock for many and is a fact of life in cities as well as for some crossings and the M6 toll road. This has resulted in the development of back office systems, a national payment portal, ANPR camera systems, and data and privacy protections, as well as advisory expertise.

But the design of any scheme will be critical. Levelling up requires a system that reflects local needs and demands, economically and socially. The technology now exists to do that. A ‘one size fits all’ approach will not build the consensus needed and will introduce more politics into the debate.

If government is to deal with air quality, congestion and plug a looming £35 billion gap in public finances it will need to introduce some form of road pricing. It is increasingly inevitable. We’ve been here before. In the past, politicians have accepted the logic of road pricing, but eschewed the political challenge. The committee’s report is clear that the reality can no longer be avoided.