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Press Release

ROAD TAX MUST GO TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO AVOID TUMBLEWEED TOWN CENTRES

22 May 2007

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is warning that, without proper investment in public transport, road user charging could lead to tumbleweed town centres.

A proposal to give local authorities the power to introduce road user charging to cut congestion was put forward in a draft bill published by the Government today (Tuesday). The BRC believes charging can only work if councils are obliged to plough road-tax-revenue directly back into upgrading public transport.

The BRC supports measures to reduce congestion and cut CO2 gas emissions. The retailers’ organisation acknowledges that road user charging is one way to achieve this aim. But it is warning that, if managed incorrectly, road taxes could drastically reduce visitor numbers to town centres.

A study carried out by the BRC with the RAC Foundation suggests that the initial response of many shoppers to local road pricing schemes would be to choose an alternative destination. This would potentially lead to more and longer journeys away from town centres. That would negate the environmental benefits of congestion charging and undermine the high street.

The BRC says income from road user charging must be ring-fenced for improvements to transport networks and public transport.

BRC Director General Kevin Hawkins said: “Investment in public transport is the key to ensuring that road user charging does not lead to tumbleweed town centres. If local authorities are given the power to introduce road taxes and abuse it high streets will suffer. They must be obliged to invest all income from schemes on improving non-car travel. This must not be a cash- cow to fund other projects.

“Retailers strongly support reducing congestion and cutting CO2 emmissions but consumers need to have access to the high street if it is to prosper. If road user charges are combined with inadequate public transport, expensive and restrictive parking and over-zealous traffic wardens then they will literally drive people out of town.”

The BRC believes that provision must also be made for those people for whom public transport is not a feasible option, such as those doing a large weekly shop for their family or buying bulky items. This could be done by making certain times exempt from road user charging.



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British Retail Consortium

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