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Cambridge haulier calls for road improvements before C-charge
Page 7
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CM COVER STORY
Roger Brawn A CAMBRIDGE haulier says the road system around the city must be improved before any congestion charging scheme could be introduced.
David Webb, joint managing director at G Webb Transport, based in Cambridge, is not against the idea of a road pricing scheme in principle, but believes that improvements must first be made to the roads in and around the city. Cambridgeshire County Council is likely to bid for £500m for road and public transport improvements-from the Government's Transport Innovation Fund (TIE) later this year.
However, the money would be conditional on the area introducing a congestion charge system.
"We have a depot just off the A14 and there is a lot of congestion in the area," Webb says.
"Cambridge city centre can also get clogged up with traffic so I am not against the idea of some sort of charge in principle. However, there must be investment in infrastructure and the roads first.
"Lorries shouldn't be treated worse than anyone else and in an ideal world, we would like any scheme limited just to cars."
Last year, proposals for local road pricing schemes, tied to TIF funding, were rejected by voters in Manchester, as well as the West Midlands Metropolitan Authorities.
Stephen Kelly, head of urban access policy at the Freight Transport Association. says:"Local road pricing schemes can bring benefits for the freight industry.
"However, we say that any scheme local, sub-regional or national has to be preceded by road infrastructure improvements," Authorities in Bristol and Bath, as well as Reading, are currently considering road pricing schemes connected to TIE bids.