Skip to main content

Wales considers road user charging options

The Welsh government has commissioned an independent review into road user charging to understand how such demand management approaches can aid the transition to more sustainable transport.
By Ben Spencer March 20, 2020 Read time: 2 mins
The Severn Bridge: one of the major transport links between Wales and England (© Matthew Dixon | Dreamstime.com)

Wales lies to the west of England and is part of the UK.

The review is expected to provide information on the wider economic implications of road user charging in the context of issues arising from the border with England while also offering lessons learned from the implementation of similar schemes in the rest of the UK or internationally. 

Part of the review will assess the options and costs of different technologies while also making the case for a national framework for road user charging policies to prevent drivers from having to pay more than one charge. 

Ken Skates, minister for economy, transport and North Wales, said in a statement: “It is intended that the review will report this autumn and it will help inform our national and regional policy on this issue in the context of the ongoing work of the South East Wales Transport Commission and the consideration of congestion charging by Cardiff Council.”

“This could include a range of possible objectives such as alleviating congestion, improving air quality or reducing carbon emissions, increasing rates of active travel, encouraging modal shift and travel behaviours – such as travel to school,” he adds. 


 

Related Content

  • January 26, 2012
    Debating road user charging systems
    Are pre-launch trials of charging systems the way to improve public acceptance? Or is the real key a more robust political attitude? Here, leading system suppliers discuss the issue. The use of distance-based Road User Charging (RUC) is now well established, at least for heavy goods vehicles on strategic roads. However demand management for all vehicles, whether a distance-based charge or some form of cordon scheme, has yet to make significant progress. This is in spite of the logic and equity of RUC being
  • March 22, 2021
    Jenoptik cameras go live in Wales
    Average speed camera scheme is designed to manage traffic congestion on M4
  • July 23, 2012
    Improving the positional accuracy of GNSS road user charging
    The European GINA project is intended to address and overcome many of the institutional, technical and public acceptance hurdles currently faced by satellite-based road user charging schemes. Dave Tindall and Denis Naberezhnykh, TRL, and Laure Dezes, ERF, write. Pay-as-you-drive Road User Charging (RUC), whereby demand (or congestion) is managed by applying appropriate tariffs in order to encourage drivers to make their journeys at less busy times, on less congested routes or even on different modes, could
  • August 26, 2022
    ITF diagnoses South Asia’s breathing difficulties
    One of the world’s fastest-growing regions faces major transport sector decisions if it is to avoid spiralling emissions problems in coming decades. Alan Dron takes a look at a new report on Asia from the International Transport Forum