Birmingham Post: Letter: Quick wins no solution to congestion

ROAD PRICING

Dear Editor, No-one would deny that growth in the region's economy is hampered by congestion, but Jerry Blackett's own series of suggested "quick wins", though mostly common sense, are not on their own a long-term solution (Why our roads policy worth waiting for, Post August 2).

However, it appears that he, like a minority of others, still sees road pricing as a magic bullet, even though it will certainly have harmful effects on already over-taxed businesses, while only promising barely noticeable improvements to journey times.

Whatever road pricing might or might not achieve as an academic policy proposal, we can all be guaranteed that if it was ever actually implemented, a scheme run by politicians will quickly be used as a new way of raising money.

Those in favour of road pricing should remember when driving in the region that Americans are now protesting petrol is reaching upwards of EUR3 per gallon. We in Britain have tolerated close to EUR8 a gallon for the best part of ten years.

Surely motorists are paying more than enough already, and if this money wasn't squandered, there would be no need for more charging.

It is the failure of politicians to meet public demand by building sufficient road space that is the root cause of this congestion problem, and the already high cost of driving - congestion aside - is the real context in which additional charges on motorists should be seen.

FIONA MCEVOY West Midlands TaxPayers' Alliance