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Local authorities are to take the lead in the UK in introducing a national road user charging scheme under proposals published by a government appointed working group.
While officials insist that universal road user charging is at least a decade away, a new White Paper on transport - The Future of Transport - a Network for 2030 - makes clear the government's commitment to the eventual introduction of some form of road pricing and signals its acceptance of the findings of the working group.
The White Paper argues that the cost of inaction or unrestricted road building as a means of trying to overcome worsening congestion is too high and that the time has come "seriously to consider the role that could be played by some form of road pricing policy."
There remains, however, some concern over the likely attitude of the public to the introduction of such a scheme and an acceptance that any debate would need to address these concerns.
"For a scheme to work," said Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Transport, "it would need general public acceptance and a great deal of preparation work over a number of years."
Perhaps for that reason the DfT is to create a Transport Innovation Fund with the express purpose of providing financial and other support to local authorities wishing to set up local congestion charging schemes. Although details of the scheme are not due to be announced until the Spring of next year, early indications are that support will be offered for congestion charging and bus Quality Contracts. The first payments from the fund will not be made until 2008 or 2009.
And the projected costs are considerable. According to a study by financial analysts Deloitte Consulting, the cost of setting up the preferred option of a distance based charging scheme would run into €billions with about 75% of the money going on the acquisition of the Galileo/GPS-enabled OBUs.
"The cost of distance based charging schemes is," says the Deloitte report, "high relative to other, simpler schemes. This is in large part driven by the high cost of the on-board units."
If the recommendations of the working group are accepted in their entirety, the basic scheme would be constructed and operated centrally while variations in the pricing structure would be set by the local authorities through whose area the roads passed. In the case of the primary route network, national and devolved administrations would give further consideration to the tariffs set.
While noting that a national scheme could not realistically begin before 2014, the report of the working group is much more optimistic about the ability of local congestion charging schemes to begin operations far earlier. Stress is placed on the advantages to be gained from studying such local schemes while cautioning against allowing a series of incompatible systems to grow up in different areas. The report urges central government to consider ways in which it might help particularly as a facilitator providing common back-office and management services that would ensure interoperability.
There is, of course, another side to all this. Industry needs to be convinced that the government is serious about its alleged (and new-found) commitment to a national road pricing system. Words alone are not enough - especially from politicians whose focus lie no further than the next election and the government needs, according to the working party's report, to move from abstract conception to concrete proposition.
"The strength of (the Administration's) commitment to explore and promote the relevant standards," says the report, "would send a signal to the supply industry and the bodies responsible for international standards, both of which would influence timing."
There is very little doubt that road pricing will make its appearance in the UK and in the rest of Europe as well. What is still in doubt is the political will to launch hat amounts to a huge task at this particular time. Elections have a habit of postponing difficult and unpopular decisions. It would be a pity should it be allowed to happen with road user charging.
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