Thatcher tolls stun DTp
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• An unprecented plan to open up a network of lorryonly toll motorways in Britain has been unveiled by the Prime Minister.
Mrs Thatcher took senior ministers completely by surprise by suggesting that schemes for privately built and managed highways could be dedicated for lorries.
There will now be some hectic consultations between the Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson, 10 Downing Street, and the haulage industry to clarify the Premier's ideas.
Mrs Thatcher's proposals for lorry-only toll routes were unveiled during a question and answer session at the 60th Tory Women's Conference in London last weekend.
Asked to spell out her policy thinking for a Tory Government after the next General Election, the Prime Minister pointed to more private road Would lorry-only roads ease Britain's congestion nightmare?
schemes lunged by business: "I think many businesses would be quite prepared to put up money if they could have extra roads, besides some of the motorways, for lorries only," she said.
The Thatcher blueprint follows existing proposals to develop more privately funded roads in Britain, with the Birmingham northern relief road and a proposed new motorway running parallel to the M6 in the forefront of Parkinson's already published schemes.