LIB DEM CONFERENCE ADOPTS RADICAL PLAN FOR TACKLING TRAFFIC CONGESTION - BRAKE

5.27.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 27th Sep 2005

Local MP Tom Brake, who also serves as the party's transport spokesman, successfully steered the Road User Pricing motion to overwhelming approval at this year's Liberal Democrat conference in Blackpool (21 September).

Tom Brake moved the motion as the latest figures show that road traffic has grown by over 11% in England since 1997. The Liberal Democrat proposals would encourage motorists to use less congested routes and times in making their journey.

Tom Brake MP said:

"Road user pricing is a radical plan to tackle Britain's growing congestion crisis. The motion calls on the Government to move towards a road user pricing system as an alternative to vehicle excise duty and fuel tax.

"After eight years of a Labour Government traffic congestion has increased. John Prescott infamously remarked that if the Government did not reduce road traffic it would have failed. The 11 per cent increase in traffic since 1997 is the clearest indicator of that failure.

"The United Kingdom has the dubious honour of having the most congested roads in Europe. We find ourselves in a situation where our high streets come to a virtual standstill, our motorways are at a crawling pace.

"Without proper action things will only get worse. Traffic is projected to increase by another 25% by 2010. Only by moving forward with a road pricing scheme will this traffic problem be addressed and Britain's clogged transport arteries cleared."

ENDS