Prepare for London tolls
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Fe by Charles Young
Hauliers are likely to face a 15-per-day charge to enter London under the UK's first road pricing scheme, says a transport advisor.
The Mayor of London will be empowered to introduce tolls in bid to reduce congestion in the capital; possibly as early as summer 2000. "There's a whole range of prices being considered at the moment. It could be anything from £2 to £10, but £5 is the price most people have focused on," says CH's source.
An effective payment system is crucial for the scheme's early introduction, and some critics say the technology for this is not yet in place. However, one possibility would be to display a disc similar to a tax disc in the cab window which would be valid for a set period.
Road pricing has been given a cautious welcome by the industry, provided the receipts are ploughed back into the transport infrastructure.
A show of hands at last week's Freight Transport Conference in the Midlands indicated support for road pricing; the AA, the CM and the FTA have all backed a scheme in Edinburgh which would cost hauliers £1 per entry.
This scheme will depend on whether a Transport Bill giving the necessary powers to local authorities is introduced in the first sitting of the Scottish parliament in July.