Alliance against the BNRR Birmingham Friends of the Earth West Midlands Transport Campaign

Press Release: 18th November 2003

Won't pay, can't pay, must pay!

West Midlands Friends of the Earth are unsurprised that very few truck companies have signed up for the electronic TAG on the M6 Toll (1). Given that they are being charged such a large amount of money to use the road it is unsurprising that they have not signed up in their droves to use the supposed congestion buster and will use it on a pick n mix type basis (2).

This is bad new for the taxpayer, bad news for the people of the West Midlands conurbation BUT gret news for the shareholders of M6 Toll in Australia and Italy. This means that the trucks which cause far more damage to the road surface will continue to use the publically funded road network and allow the M6 Toll to be potentially a lorry free zone.

Chris Crean from West Midlands Friends of the Earth commented:

"We raised this issue at the public inquiry and in our case in the High Court and yet John Prescott refused to listen. The operators of this road have only their shareholders to answer to and they don't want large maintenance bills from hundreds of trucks using the road on a daily basis. This means thet the M6 Toll won't do what it says on the tin and relieve the M6 within the West Midlands conurbation."

West Midlands Friends of the Earth are very angry that the operators of the M6 Toll don't see themselves in having to play a roll as part of the national Trunk Road network in time when the current M6 may be out of action. They would not open the road for free to allow through traffic to by pass the conurbation. So if say the M6 were blocked due to a series of crashes or maintenance then M6 Toll would not play its part in the national road network.

Chris Crean continued:

"Yet again Midland Expresway Limited (3) are having their cake and eating it. They have no interest in the state of the our road network nor relieving congestion; just their shareholders in Australia and Italy. The Government in drawing up this awful concession agreement have shafted the people of the West Midlands who are in a lose, lose, lose scenario meanwhile MEL are laughing all the way to the bank."

Editor's Notes

[1] What is the new M6 Toll? The new M6 Toll is a 27 mile, three lane motorway due to open in January 2004. The new M6 Toll will be Britain's first toll motorway. The toll system will place vehicles into different categories and charge separate rates for each category depending on the size of the vehicle. Rates will also alter according to the time of day, with day and night tariffs.

The new M6 Toll, which bypasses the M6 from junction 4 near Coleshill Warwickshire and arc around the north-east of the West Midlands conurbation rejoining the M6 near cannock Staffordshire at 11a.

Payment can be made at either a manned booth, using credit or debit cards, in cash or at an automatic booth, using credit or debit cards or coins only (no change given).

Drivers can also pay in advance of their journey using the new M6 Toll's electronic tag system. The tag sits in the windscreen and will allow drivers to drive through a tag lane.

[2] It would seem that many companies are choosing not to pay in advance and are waiting to see how the M6 Toll performs and will the payment of £11 be worth it for a truck in terms of the time saved. This will vary depending on the time of day, volume of traffic within the West Midlands network and the ability of in cab technology to allow the drivers to make an informed choice a to which raod to use on a day to day week to week basis.

[3] Pricing Overview:

Midland Expressway are offering £1 off the first 10,000,000 customers using the new M6 Toll.

The first 10 million vehicles to use the new M6 Toll benefit from a discount of £1 off standard day and night tolls, Langley Mill toll will be half the launch toll (minimum toll 50p). Standard M6 Toll prices are detailed below.

Langley Mill toll will be half the standard toll (minimum toll 50p).

All tolls include VAT and for those businesses that are able to claim back their VAT, our regular tag account statements will help. Extra wide or heavy vehicles (over 44 tonnes or 2.9 wide)

[4] Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) is a private company with the government concession to design, build and run the 27 miles of the new M6 Toll until 2054. MEL is jointly owned by the Macquarie Infrastructure Group and Autostrade SpA. MEL appointed CAMBBA to design and build the M6 Toll. This is the largest UK road contract, worth £485 million. CAMBBA is a joint venture between four British construction companies: Carillion, Alfred McAlpine, Balfour Beatty and AMEC.