BRF says no to tolls
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THE BRITISH Road Federation has joined the Freight Transport Association, the Road Haulage Association and the Greater London Council in attacking Dartford Tunnel tolls.
If the tolls are not abolished, serious traffic congestion will result on the f800m M25, the BRF told Transport Under-Secretary Lynda Chalker.
The toll booths at Dartford would not be able to cope with the heavy flows of traffic expected when the new links with the Al and M11 open in Autumn, the BRF pointed out. Some users might be forced on to other roads and through the alternative toll-free Blackwell Tunnel.
"Any transfer to the Blackwell Tunnel and to the proposed East London River Crossing will not only reduce the value of the M25, but run counter to the Government's accident prevention and energy conservation policies by increasing the length of journeys on less safe roads," commented BRF director Kenneth Cannel!, It has called for the Dartford crossing to be redesignated as part of the M25.
Moving on to tolls in general, Mr Cannell called for the aboli tion of all road tolls. Many estuary crossings are an "integral part of the national road network and should be treated as such," he said.
Very few of the toll crossings will recover their construction and maintenance costs, which was their main purpose.