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Committee urges road pricing rethink

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12th June 2008

A committee of MPs has called on the government to re-examine its plans to introduce road pricing to deal with congestion.

The Commons transport committee said on Friday that ministers should pay more attention to improving train services and concentrate on regional development.

The government backed plans to introduce a congestion charge in Greater Manchester earlier this week.

But the MPs said "little progress is being made with regard to road pricing".

"There is little evidence to suggest that local authorities have the appetite for submitting the necessary bids," said the report.

"We have previously noted that the local road pricing schemes cannot be effective pilots for a national scheme.

"We therefore recommend that the government re-examine its policy with respect to national road pricing."

The MPs also raised concerns that the DfT had "lost interest" in ensuring trains ran punctually and reliably and warned that losing focus could reverse recent progress.

Committee chairman Louise Ellman said the Department for Transport "must be clear about identifying its main priorities and showing how progress can be measured".

"It must demonstrate more clearly how it is addressing the Stern and Eddington reports so that environmental and economic targets can be achieved," she said.

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