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'Drivers would not use IV4 relief road'
Page 10
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A TOLL CHARGE for the proposed M4 relief road in Wales would result in most drivers avoiding it, says a transport expert.
Dr Anthony Beresford, of Cardiff Business School, says one of the problems is that the current road "although poor, does cope with traffic all the time".
The result, argues Beresford, is that the new road, which runs to the south of Newport, would have to be free to provide any benefit.
Beresforcl says the new road would mainly benefit those going from West Wales to London, but that a third of the traffic is headed for the Midlands and will prefer using the old route. "For 80% of the time the benefit of using the new M4 relief road over the existing road will be virtually zero." Beresford has carried out surveys of all drivers, including hauliers, to reach his conclusions.
Gerry Jones, boss of Crosskeysbased Gerry Jones Transport, also says few hauliers would use a toll road. "Living in Wales we are already hit with the two Severn crossings, so from our firm's point of view we wouldn't use it."
The relief road, which could open in 2013, could be used as a flagship scheme for satellite tracking charging.