Skip to main content

UK Government considers charging for use of motorways

The UK Government is considering plans that could see motorists pay an annual fee of up to US$236.99 (£150) to use the country's motorways and trunk roads. The charges would be introduced as part of a move to reform vehicle excise duty, which currently raises $9.442 billion (£6bn) per year. Although the Government has dismissed the imposition of a flat-rate fee on those using the UK's largest roads, it has said that it is looking into introducing more sophisticated access charges. These would vary according
February 12, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
The UK Government is considering plans that could see motorists pay an annual fee of up to US$236.99 (£150) to use the country's motorways and trunk roads. The charges would be introduced as part of a move to reform vehicle excise duty, which currently raises $9.442 billion (£6bn) per year.

Although the Government has dismissed the imposition of a flat-rate fee on those using the UK's largest roads, it has said that it is looking into introducing more sophisticated access charges. These would vary according to several factors, such as by the weight of the vehicle or by a vehicle's CO2 emissions. The Government has said that these charges would be offset by a cut in the headline road tax rate. However, the 3440 AA motoring organisation believes that the measures will have a negative impact on low income households, who may find themselves confined to local roads.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Implementing road user charging
    February 14, 2012
    Oregon Department of Transportation's James Whitty spoke with Jason Barnes on the state's progress with VMT fee-based charging
  • Road user charging for the UK?
    November 17, 2020
    Road user charging is being considered for the UK.
  • UK government to invest in M5 and M6 motorways
    July 9, 2013
    The UK government is planning to make improvements to the M5 and M6 as part of its US$150.41 billion (£100bn) infrastructure spending programme. Changes will include motorists being allowed to drive on the hard shoulder, with computerised signs being installed to inform them when it is safe to do so. The Government has also confirmed that it will provide funding for a new link road between the M6 Toll and the M54, while $8.94 billion (£6bn) will be put towards repairing roads and $5.96 billion (£4bn) will b
  • The US FAST Act: a job left unfinished
    April 4, 2016
    US roads and bridges are crumbling at an alarming rate as state governments wring their hands over the increasingly scarce money for repairs. Enter the FAST Act. But is it enough? US state transportation department officials, as well as highway contractors and operators, breathed a sigh of relief in December. For months the highways infrastructure sector waited anxiously to see where the necessary money for road projects would come from. For several years, the Highways Trust Fund – the usual way of paying f