Government boffin backs road pricing
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by Rob Willlock • Clues emerged last week about the likely focus of the Government's White Paper on transport policy.
University College London Professor Phil Goodwin, head of the panel guiding next spring's policy document, writes in a Design Council report on the environment; "Under-emphasis on the use of road-pricing revenues has been a real weakness of the policy debate," lie continues: "Pricing is the only lever which can produce very large sums of money —and money is the problem in actually delivering the improvements that nearly everybody agrees are necessary.'
Provided the income from road pricing is reinvested in transport, he believes "local authorities would be queuing up to implement it, and the public would support it'.
Goodwin also writes of the need to redress the use of road space. "The argument is simple," he contends. "If there is not enough road space for everyone, then let us give priority to the most deserving, efficient or important classes of road user."
He cites buses, emergency service and goods delivery vehicles among obvious claimants.
Goodwin's colleagues on the transport committee include Steven Joseph, executive director of lobby group Transport 2000; Joyce Mamode, representing the transport trade unions; and Charles Rice, managing director of P&O Transeuropean. E. Send your comments on transport policy before 14 November to: Clare Spink, Integrated Transport Division, DOT, Zone 1/26 Great Minster Street, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 41)R.