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

  • August 10, 2016
    Mileage based charging offers secure future for funding
    HNTB’s Matthew Click sets out why a move to mileage-based pricing is inevitable. Infrastructure is the most neglected yet the most critical engine of our society, and our continued indifference could lead to a dystopian future. Our roads, bridges and highways have been largely passed by in the digital age—marginalised in an era when funding is limited and stewardship of physical assets has given way to our preoccupation with technological innovation and data—the stuff of the virtual realm.
  • December 16, 2016
    Study reveals unexpected effects of replacing fuel tax
    Eric O’Rear, Wallace Tyner and Kemal Sarica examine the far-reaching implications of replacing fuel taxes with a mileage tax. Lawmakers at both the federal and state level are frustrated over declining fuel tax revenues as they struggle to fund projects for constructing and maintaining state-wide infrastructure.
  • March 14, 2014
    Decision to suspend bus lanes “flawed and data deficient”
    According to the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT UK) the decision by Liverpool’s Mayor and council to suspend all of the city’s bus lanes in a nine month trial was rushed through and based on evidence that was flawed and suffered from a severe data deficit. Furthermore, it could even deter other local authorities around Britain from introducing measures that promote public transport to ease urban traffic congestion. The Institute believes that the evidence used by the Mayor and Coun
  • March 18, 2016
    Smart ticketing needed in Wales, says report
    A Welsh National Assembly committee study, which looked at bus and community transport across Wales, has found that falling subsidies, falling passenger numbers and reductions in services across Wales are having a severe impact, particularly in rural Wales. Enterprise and Business Committee chairman William Graham AM said that there are also a range of policy issues which undermine the Welsh bus industry. The need for a dedicated Wales-only Traffic Commissioner based in Wales and accountable to the Welsh