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Hauliers debate MG price
Page 13
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• Hauliers are expressing widely-differing views about what would be a fair price for using the new M6 toll motorway, which will open in early 2003.
Midland Expressway (MEL), operator of the 27-mile road, is due to announce the prices in April or May of this year.
James Nuttall. managing director of James Nuttall (Transport) in Rochdale, says £5 would be a sensible price to bypass the heavily-congested M6 around Birmingham. But he adds: -110 for a one-way journey would be expensive but there would still be occasions when we would be prepared to pay it, such as on Fridays or if drivers are running out of time."
Len Bassett, joint managing director of RG Bassett & Sons near Stoke, agrees that the faster journey times and increased efficiency provided by the road will generally be worth around 25.
But Andrew Dodd, Midland regional director of reefer specialist ACS&T, which has a depot in Wolverhampton, says £10-215 would be acceptable. "I would have thought it would be quite reasonable it you are travelling at peak times. Drivers will make a decision to use it or stay on the M6, depending on the congestion," Extensive market research has been conducted among motorists and hauliers about the tolls but a spokesman for MEL says it is company policy not to discuss the results. However, prices are expected to be reduced at night.
Colin Hagan, Midland regional policy advisor to the Freight Transport Association, says pricing presents MEL with a difficult balancing act. "If set too high, you don't get the traffic, and if too low, the motorway will start to suffer congestion which is self-defeating."
Mike Farmer, Midlands regional director of the Road Haulage Association, says: "What we don't want to see is a massive differential between cars and lorries such as we see on river crossings: we still see lorries as essential users of the road."
Einaik guyatioppardea blue yonder.co.uk