No stopping charges
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• by Guy Sheppard
Congestion charging for vehicles entering Birmingham and Wolverhampton is inevitable and will be set at up to £3.50 per day, according to a leading transport consultant.
But Terry Mulroy, who is heading a study into intermodal transport for the West Midlands, says the charges could take decades to introduce because political obstacles will need to be overcome.
He was speaking at the launch of outline recommendations for the region's transport infrastructure over the next SO years.
These put strong emphasis on expanding public transport but also recommend widening the M42 between the M40 and the MB and building three bypasses on the western edge of the West Midland conurbation.
John Hancox, managing director of Hancox Haulage in Dudley, says the bypasses will be vital to provide alternative access from the Black Country to the MS and MB.
But he adds: "If hauliers have to pay congestion charges it will be just another nail in the coffin of long-established people who are going out of business on a day-to-day basis."
The study is one of 21 around the country which were announced by the government two years ago.
Its recommendations will have to be approved by a steering group of regional politicians, civil servants and environmental groups before being adopted in the autumn.
Although Mulroy says congestion charging is years away, Birmingham City Council believes it could be imminent as part of the government's 10-year transport plan to fund green transport initiatives (CM21-21 June).