1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188 
DfT powerless on toll
Page 14
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Is the 11/6 toll road overpriced at El 0? David Harris reports
A STAFFORDSHIRE MP has written to the Department for Transport asking it if the new M6 toll road has been badly priced for trucks. David Kidney, MP for Stafford. has written to the Dfr asking if the proposed 110 charge is so high that most trucks will deliberately avoid using the route.
He also wants to know if any research has been done into the effect of the £10 toll on the amount of traffic using the non-tolled M6.
The DIE told him there had been no assessment on the effect of the toll since the price was announced earlier this year. The Department has no powers to alter the charges under the terms of the concession to Midland Expressway.
Kidney says: "I certainly did not expect a charge of fl 0 per lorry."
The haulier who prompted him to ask the question, Stan Robinson of Stafford, doubts whether the new toll road will provide any traffic relief at all. He adds: "My vehicles will be instructed not to use the toll except in emergencies, and even then I will want to know exactly why. If it were £5 I might consider it but the rate they are asking is ridiculous, especially at a time when our customers are asking us to cut rates. It's just another tax."
The official opening date for the toll road remains January 2004, despite rumours that it might open earlier. The Midland Expressway says the £10 toll charge includes VAT which hauliers will be able to claim back.
Research by the Freight Transport Association suggests that only 30% of hauliers are planning to use the M6 toll road (CM 7 August).