East Midlands road pricing ‘would reduce jams’

01 May 2008
 
Congestion charging and a range of complementary transport measures could have a significant effect on traffic problems in the East Midlands by 2016, a new study concludes.

The 6Cs Congestion Management Study is the first fruit of a partnership set up by six highway authorities and other public bodies across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, in 2007.

The Transport Innovation Fund-supported work aimed to see how congestion could be managed over the next 10 to 20 years in the East Midlands Three Cities Sub-Region. It concluded that continuation of existing policies and investment plans would see delays worsen significantly in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham, increasing costs to the local economy.

By contrast, an innovative package with some form of congestion charging and public transport improvements would see a reduction in vehicle kilometres in the three conurbations of 16-20% by 2016, and further improvements by 2026.

Morning bus travel would be up 70%, Nottingham tram trips up 67%, park-and-ride trips up 172%, and cycling and walking up 7-8%. The report drew a cautious response from the local authorities, aware of public hostility to charging, but there is an appetite for further Transport Innovation Fund work.

Leicestershire County Council’s cabinet has been recommended to support further work by the partnership. ‘We are not deciding yet whether to introduce a congestion charge,’ said cabinet member for transport, Nick Rushton.

‘We are simply deciding whether to explore the opportunities offered by this fund.’ The fund would be able to meet half the £6m cost of a two-year study to develop a business case for a charging scheme, complementary measures, delivery mechanisms and required governance.

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