iPs back calls to scrap crossings tolls
Page 3
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
DLLS on major river cross;s should be scrapped, MPs manded this week in a real calculated to cheer lorry ■ erators.
The all-party transport lect committee says that Hs should not be imposed any major estuarine crossg which forms part of the otorway or trunk road sysm.
The Department of Trans)rt is unlikely to agree to .ese demands, having in sisted in the past that it has never been convinced by the argument that they should be scrapped on the I() major crossings.
The MPs say that the cost to the Government of taking responsibility for the debts on the tolled crossings would be £27.4 million a year, plus a possible repayment of local authority debts of just over £42 million a year.
The MPs argue that the cost of solving the problem of the rising debt does not appear excessive, while the cost of doing nothing would only lead to considerable rises in the debt and make the final solution considerably more expensive.
They argue that while Governments have never accepted the idea of hypothecating taxes, road users paid £5.6 billion a year in vehicle excise duty and fuel duty, while the road budget totals only £2.7 billion.