Lord Berkeleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What account they require multi modal studies to take of possible future road pricing programmes for some or all roads. [HL5017]
§ Lord Macdonald of TradestonTheGuidance on the Methodology for Multi-Modal Studies, issued in March 2000, recognised that local authorities have powers to introduce road user charging schemes. The guidance also noted that, although there were no plans to introduce more widespread charging schemes on the inter-urban network, it was important that all potential options for resolving problems within study corridors were explored. The guidance therefore advised that it would be "appropriate for the studies to examine the contribution that charging on selected corridors and sections of the trunk road network might make to the delivery of the Government's transport objectives".
In addition, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government 62WA and the Regions wrote to the chairs of regional planning bodies on 24 May 2002. Among other things, his letter said that multi-modal study recommendations "should build in flexibility as to what should be done now given that we do not believe that a system of road user charging for cars could be introduced this decade and that no decisions have been made about the longer term introduction of road user charging". The same advice was conveyed to the study teams.