Government holds back on urban road pricing
The Government's lukewarm approach to the use of road pricing to curb traffic congestion and pollution in urban areas has been underscored in its response to a report by the House of Commons Transport Committee.1 It has no intention of initiating experiments in congestion charging itself. And while it has promised to consider on its merits any local authority private Bill enabling such charging to be implemented, Transport Secretary Sir George Young unveiled the response by commenting that urban road pricing "is not a realistic option this century."