Soundbites

Are toll roads a good way of raising funds to improve the road network?

PE

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Private contractors could be operating some roads in the future, allowing them to impose tolls on any new roads they build

Of course – let’s have a multitude of different branding, competition between road operators, and a toll system that means you can pay anything from £1 to £1,000 for the same trip depending on how soon you book. It’s worked for railways.
Dave Burbridge, Milton Keynes

The road network is a national infrastructure asset and it should belong to, be operated by and, via taxation, be funded by the nation, not companies with a main interest in balance sheets and shares. 
Richard Young, Manchester

This is a good way of raising funds to improve the road network. Having regularly driven on the A50/A564 Stoke-Derby link, which was developed under a private finance initiative, I have been very impressed by the quality of the road. 
Owen Kivlin, Cambridge

Yes. The road user would end up paying for them anyway in fuel duty, car tax etc, and it makes it fairer if the payment is at point of use. 
Shane McNamara, Derby

No. The aim of a private company is to make money rather than provide a good service. It is the responsibility of government to provide the infrastructure for the nation and that should be financed out of the huge amount of tax they take from the motoring public. 
Robin Stafford Allen, Oxfordshire

We have become comfortable with the idea of tolls for bridges, so roads cannot be excluded outright. However, with the technology now available, should we not toll all vehicles on the mileage they cover on any roads, and calculate insurance premiums on the same basis? Or is that a bit too Orwellian? 
Luke Harrison, Aldershot, Hants

I sense that finances are the “driving” force (boom boom) behind this proposal. Let’s hope that common sense and sound decision-making prevail! 
Jon Selby, Cheltenham

We need new roads and if they are all like the M6 toll road then I would support the scheme. However, it will probably result in more tailbacks caused by the inadequate number of toll booths that will be installed.
Simon Jones, London

Toll roads will just end up driving people onto other roads as has been reported in Portugal. A much fairer way would be to introduce road pricing so that everyone who uses roads pays accordingly. 
Robin Luxmoore, Stokesley, North Yorkshire

No!! My detailed comments are unprintable.
Les Pook, Sevenoaks, Kent

Car owners already pay through the nose and subsidise the government with road fund licences and excessive duty and tax on fuel which are not wisely used to improve the road infrastructure now. Will they reduce either of those in recompense – no! 
Herman Ruijsenaars, Lincoln

Sounds like the first step towards the privatisation of the road network. When will governments learn that privatisation is not a golden bullet? 
Ben Chivers, Reading

All it will do is make traffic worse on “free” roads. Not many will have the money to spend on tolls because they will not eliminate road tax! 
Phillip Haran, Ruislip, Middlesex

That’s a laugh. Where are these new roads going to go and who’s going to want a private company running a road through their land? The Nimbys will string it out in court so long it will never be worth it.
Richard Pearson, Portsmouth

Yes. Not sure the rural roads in Wiltshire will benefit but I hope the M5/M6 junction will. If the government had to travel north of Birmingham the junction would have been sorted decades ago.
Roger Crook, Swindon 

It would be interesting to see the true cost of building and running a road if it were funded solely by tolls. Would put road tax into perspective.
Simon Baker, Derby

As long as there was always a free alternative then yes.
Peter Inglis, Dundee

Governments should be free to raise money in any way they like – just don’t expect me to use privately funded roads except in an emergency. It’s rather like using private health – great if you can afford it but please not to the detriment of the National Health Service. 
Richard Lindop, Duffield, Derbyshire

All this will do is create a two-tier transport network. Those with the money to pay will have access to excellent well-maintained roads whilst those that cannot will have to cope with potholes, traffic jams and longer journey times.
Steve Wrigley, Lancaster

If new roads are to be built they should be entirely self-financing, including all construction and planning costs as well as all operational costs, even including policing and traffic management. Operators should also be responsible for maintaining minimum safety levels (much higher than the low levels of the current road system) with stiff penalties if these are not met.
Andrew Gainsbury, Cardiff

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