Friends of the Earth
West Midlands Transport
Campaign
|
Birmingham Friends of the Earth West Midlands Transport Campaign |
On Saturday the 19th of February, Tolls will be enforced in Birmingham City Centre, as Birmingham Friends of the Earth (FOE) campaigners erect a brightly coloured toll booth for the customers of four of the banks involved in the consortia considering funding Britain's first toll motorway. The Halifax on New St - Victoria Square will be the first to be targeted, at 11am. Later on tolls will also be enforced outside the Abbey National, New Street, National Westminster Bank, Colmore Row, and Lloyds Bank Corporation Street, as brightly coloured toll booths are erected in front of the banks.
Members of Birmingham FOE will be informing customers that their banks are considering funding the Birmingham Northern Relief Road [BNRR], and of the toll which it could take on their savings. Although customers won't have to pay to enter the banks, they will be issued with a "Toll Ticket" explaining the risks of investing in the BNRR.
Brett Rehling, Transport Campaigner for Birmingham FOE said:
"There's a double whammy in the BNRR. Not only do the banks risk their customer's money, but what road users will find is that they are paying good money just to shuffle traffic jams around. When you add in the destruction of 27 miles of greenbelt, everyone loses. It's a gamble that's not worth taking."
Midland Expressway Limited (MEL), who would operate the proposed road, are seeking £700 million in funding, all from the private sector, more than double their original estimate to build the road! Four British High Street banks - Abbey National, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland (and indirectly National Westminster Bank plc.) and the Halifax are bidding to take part.
The cost of construction would only be recouped from motorists if enough people pay the toll to use the motorway, which would run directly parallel to the A5 and A38 which would be toll free. The BNRR is also expected to cause new traffic jams where it joins the M6 in Staffordshire, further putting off its potential customers.
Gerald Kells of FOE's West Midlands Transport Campaign explains:
"What has to be remembered is that after jaunting along the toll road motorists will have to rejoin the M6. This will be where new congestion hits. The BNRR concentrates traffic onto the motorway network adding to motorway jams. Long tailbacks will take back the time saved on the BNRR and drivers will begin to wonder whether it was worth paying MEL's toll, which is expected to be several pounds per trip. This is a very risky financial venture. How people will react to the toll is unpredictable as Tom Smith managing director of MEL admitted during the High Court case."
Photo Opportunity: Saturday 19th February, 11:00 am. (time negotiable to suit) outside Halifax Bank corner of New St and Victoria Square Birmingham City Centre.
A two metre high Toll Booth will be erected in front of the Halifax, Birmingham New St. The booth has a 6 foot long barrier arm, and will be staffed by FOE members dressed as Toll Collectors. The Toll collectors will give tickets to the bank customers, and a giant £700 million toll booth ticket will also be presented to the manager.
Birmingham FOE 0121 632 6909
Three groups of banks are competing to finance the BNRR:
Midland Expressway Limited, the operating company jointly owned by Macquarie Bank of Australia and Autostrade of Italy, is seeking to raise £650m - £700m. The final figure depends on renegotiation of the construction contract, which expired last year because of a three-year delay during a legal challenge by environmental protesters. It compares to an original budget of £350m, and to more recent estimates of £500m.
MEL is jointly owned by Macquarie Bank of Australia and Autostrade of Italy. Autostrade's flagship toll motorway in America, the Dulles Greenway, narrowly avoid bankruptcy, after they were unable to pay their creditors due to construction cost over-runs and lack of traffic.