Nine areas across England will share £7.5 million to help them develop innovative plans to tackle local congestion and inform the debate on a national road pricing scheme, Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander announced today.
The money comes from the second round of an £18 million fund, set up in July 2005, awarding pump-priming in advance of the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF). The TIF money can be used to improve public transport, offering alternatives to car use and more choice for the travelling public.
Today's new funding will support local authorities who are developing proposals for local pilot road pricing projects. These will help inform discussion on a national road pricing scheme, providing experience on the ground and ideas about how road pricing technology will work.
Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander said:
"Congestion has significant costs to the economy and environment, causes delay and frustration or motorists and it is forecast to get steadily worse over the next ten years. We must act now.
"Road pricing has the potential to cut congestion by nearly half and we need to explore how well-designed schemes can help us with our congestion problems. We are clear that the first step on this path is helping local authorities to establish local pilots, which will inform our thinking on a national scheme. Today's announcement is another step along that path."
Six areas which received funding under the first round are being awarded further funds:
Cambridgeshire
Durham County Council (for Durham City)
Greater Manchester
Shropshire County Council (for Shrewsbury)
Tyne and Wear
West Midlands conurbation
In addition, three new areas bid successfully:
Nottingham, Derby and Leicester and the surrounding counties;
Reading;
Norfolk (for Norwich)
Douglas Alexander added:
"Today's announcement brings to ten the number of areas across England giving serious consideration to local road pricing schemes. I am delighted with the work that the first seven have done to date, and was pleased that so many more authorities showed they are willing to engage with us in finding real solutions to their congestion problems."
The Government will work closely with these authorities on this developmental work. The three new areas will be invited to join the Road Pricing Local Liaison Group. This group is responsible for developing a consistent approach to road pricing - looking at technical standards, design and scheme appraisal.
The money comes from the second round of an £18 million fund, set up in July 2005, awarding pump-priming in advance of the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF). The TIF money can be used to improve public transport, offering alternatives to car use and more choice for the travelling public.
Today's new funding will support local authorities who are developing proposals for local pilot road pricing projects. These will help inform discussion on a national road pricing scheme, providing experience on the ground and ideas about how road pricing technology will work.
Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander said:
"Congestion has significant costs to the economy and environment, causes delay and frustration or motorists and it is forecast to get steadily worse over the next ten years. We must act now.
"Road pricing has the potential to cut congestion by nearly half and we need to explore how well-designed schemes can help us with our congestion problems. We are clear that the first step on this path is helping local authorities to establish local pilots, which will inform our thinking on a national scheme. Today's announcement is another step along that path."
Six areas which received funding under the first round are being awarded further funds:
Cambridgeshire
Durham County Council (for Durham City)
Greater Manchester
Shropshire County Council (for Shrewsbury)
Tyne and Wear
West Midlands conurbation
In addition, three new areas bid successfully:
Nottingham, Derby and Leicester and the surrounding counties;
Reading;
Norfolk (for Norwich)
Douglas Alexander added:
"Today's announcement brings to ten the number of areas across England giving serious consideration to local road pricing schemes. I am delighted with the work that the first seven have done to date, and was pleased that so many more authorities showed they are willing to engage with us in finding real solutions to their congestion problems."
The Government will work closely with these authorities on this developmental work. The three new areas will be invited to join the Road Pricing Local Liaison Group. This group is responsible for developing a consistent approach to road pricing - looking at technical standards, design and scheme appraisal.
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