Pledge to business on congestion charges

Aug 18 2007 by David Higgerson, Liverpool Daily Post

TRANSPORT leaders last night pledged to consult the business community before unveiling plans to tackle congestion on Merseyside.

The Merseyside Local Transport Plan Partnership is investigating ways to beat congestion, and looking at congestion charging as one option.

It said it was about to start consulting organisations on its options, which will have to including congestion charging if the region is to receive tens of millions of pounds needed to upgrade public transport systems.

The partnership has pledged to push ahead with congestion-busting plans only if it has a majority support.

The Daily Post has revealed that senior council officers believe congestion charging is inevitable.

Officers have already conceded that it is more likely to be a case of “when” not “if” they develop charging plans.

The Government insists it will only hand out large sums of money from its Transport Innovation Fund if congestion charging is part of proposals.

But Peel Holdings, owner of Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, and proposed developers of Liverpool Water and Wirral Waters, has opposed the idea of charging, which it says would have a damaging effect on economic success.

Yesterday a spokesman for the MLTP, which is made up of the region’s five local councils, said: “The Merseyside Local Transport Plan Partnership is working together to plan for the long term future of transport and travel in the region.

“This will be completed next year and will be subject to wide debate. Until all the evidence has been assessed no decisions can be made on the content of those plans at this stage.

“The fact that it is up to local councillors whether to consider road user charging or not is to be welcomed rather than decisions being made at a national level.

“No decision has been made and will not be until the full study and consultation is completed next year.

“The study programme is now under way which will use modelling to predict where and when congestion will start to affect the economic growth of Greater Merseyside – then to test the effect of various means of tackling the problem to ensure economic growth is not stifled or damaged.

“Organisations such as the British Chambers of Commerce and the Freight Transport Association have already come out in favour of a national scheme.

“A number of events have already been held or are currently being planned to consult with stakeholders from key sectors such as business, regeneration, health, education, and culture for example so they are all fully engaged in the TIF process and are kept up to date at every stage. Their views, and the views of the public, form a vital part of any decision and no decision will be made without the support of the majority in those sectors.

davidhiggerson