IN response to the Tories’ suggestion of tolls on new roads as a means of funding huge public borrowing, Robert Kingdom, head of marketing at fleet management company Masterlease, argues that UK businesses will end up carrying the cost.
AT the time of opening the M6 toll road in 2003, the CBI stated that it would save UK businesses millions of pounds each year: it would reduce lost working time; reduce fuel usage; and improve delivery times.
Despite these many advantages, mainly haulage firms have eschewed the M6 toll because of the cost. As a result, the M6 still is often swamped with vehicles during rush hour.
With welcome honesty the leader of the Conservatives, David Cameron, has made it clear that road tolls are purely a way of raising funds to offset our huge public borrowing. Cameron isn’t trying to pretend that they are a ‘solve all’ solution to traffic congestion. However, the reality is that most of the income from toll roads will be paid by UK businesses, as company car drivers make up a substantial proportion of the nation’s road users.
It is unlikely, even as we emerge from recession, that private motorists will be keen to pay for toll roads – 1.8 million drivers recently signed a Downing Street petition against exactly that. The Conservatives must be well aware of this. So it implies that as a means of generating profit they would be relying on company car drivers to fund the scheme.
Recent statistics on the M6 toll road show that only half of the motorists predicted to use the road when it opened in 2003 are using it now. Given the fact that there are roughly four million business car and van drivers on our roads today it would then follow that if the Tories get into power next year they will look to businesses to generate the cash.
Whatever happens, small businesses should be prepared for this – a ‘head in the sand’ attitude is not sustainable. Road pricing could be inevitable as we strive towards the 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050, which Ed Miliband has pledged.
Further information
The Masterlease website can be found at www.masterlease.uk.net
