Congestion charge conditions could be axed in TIF reforms

22 June 2009

The Transport Innovation Fund faces reform under next month’s carbon-reduction strategy, Surveyor has learned.

Sadiq Khan, the new minister for local transport, hinted that the rules of TIF might be revised to remove the condition for local road charging.

‘Watch this space,’ he said at a sustainable transport seminar this week, his first public appearance since his appointment.

The Government has been repeatedly urged to relax the TIF rules to enable councils to submit bids without congestion charge measures.

Greater Manchester recently put together a £1.4bn transport package – including a small government contribution – to compensate for public rejection of its TIF bid, but at the expense of some smaller schemes such as school travel projects.

‘I’m not sure what places such as Bolton are getting out of it,’ warned Stephen Joseph, executive director of Campaign for Better Transport.

Khan also said the next round of local transport plans would focus on sustainable transport.

Previously a communities minister, Khan’s new responsibilities also include climate change and Crossrail.

His predecessor, Paul Clark, replaces Jim Fitzpatrick as road safety minister, who himself has moved to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

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