Think-tank calls for road network share giveaway

Leading UK think-tank, The Social Market Foundation (SMF), argues in a new report, Roads to Recovery, that each citizen should be given a free, tradable share in the road network worth over £1,500 (€1,700); road user charges should be introduced, and road tax abolished. The SMF claims the UK’s “creaking transport infrastructure” makes economic recovery harder, with congestion predicted to cost businesses and households an extra £22 billion a year by 2025.
July 3, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Leading UK think-tank, The 6078 Social Market Foundation (SMF), argues in a new report, Roads to Recovery, that each citizen should be given a free, tradable share in the road network worth over £1,500 (€1,700); road user charges should be introduced, and road tax abolished. The SMF claims the UK’s “creaking transport infrastructure” makes economic recovery harder, with congestion predicted to cost businesses and households an extra £22 billion a year by 2025.

“Road user charging is the policy solution but is understandably unpopular with voters because politicians see it as a way to raise more tax,” says the report. The SMF says its plans would see any profits from
road charging, or the sale of road shares, going to shareholders (the people) rather than into Treasury coffers.

Ian Mulheirn, co-author of the report and director of the SMF, said: “Road charging means that people pay for what they use, including foreign hauliers who currently pay nothing at all.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • AEM leaders’ set agenda for boosting manufacturing jobs and lift U.S. economy
    March 1, 2013
    Two senior U.S. construction equipment industry figures have called for action on priority policies to create manufacturing jobs and expand the American economy. Speaking during the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) ‘state of the industry policy update’ press conference, 2013 AEM chair and Caterpillar Group president Stu Levenick and AEM president Dennis Slater said the Association’s agenda in dealings with Government was focussed on improving transport and transport infrastructure, energy infras
    Read More
  • The cycle of potholes in the UK
    October 1, 2019
    Since 2015 almost a million potholes have been recorded annually by UK local authorities, with the 2016 count reaching 1,088,965, according to an insurance provider.
    Read More
  • Road user charging to pay for road improvements?
    February 20, 2012
    What is the current situation with Russian roads? It is an objective answer to this question that is contained in the official report of the Federal State Statistics Service for 2009. Here it states: "...public roads are of poor quality: 8.4% of roads accounted for groundwater, nearly a third of roads are gravel, rubble or cobblestone.
    Read More
  • Growing US congestion problems will get worse according to study
    April 30, 2012
    The economic recession has only provided a temporary respite from the growing congestion problem, according to Texas Transportation Institute 2011 Urban Mobility Report.While traffic problems have stagnated in the US along with the economy, the annual study suggests that too little progress is being made toward ensuring that the nation's transportation system will be able to keep up with job growth when the economy does return.
    Read More

Highlighted Content