Julian Knight MP today led a special Westminster debate on the future of the M6 Toll motorway. He called for root-and-branch reform of the Toll’s operation, both in normal circumstances and particularly during periods of congestion and crisis.
Despite originally being built as the ‘Birmingham Relief Road’, high prices and badly-designed emergency arrangements have turned it into a ‘rich persons’ motorway’ which is not bringing any relief. Even during exceptional circumstances, such as the 24-hour gridlock of February 4th, no steps were taken to open the Toll to ordinary traffic.
Julian proposed that there be an agreed number of days where the Toll can be opened to general traffic if needed, and that the final decision should rest with elected politicians at the new West Midlands Combined Authority.
During the Government’s response the minister pledged to examine Julian’s proposals and meet a delegation of local MPs in May to discuss reform, as well as visiting the constituency to see the centre of the chaos for himself.
Commenting on the news, Julian said:
“The road network is at the very foundation of our economy: February’s disruption cost the West Midlands economy an astonishing £40 million. Gridlock also has social and environmental costs, and most troublingly of all emergency services can be blocked.
“We were reminded in the debate that this doesn’t just affect Solihull and Birmingham: trouble on our major motorways spills over into secondary routes and has a big knock-on effect on local communities.
“As Britain’s only pay motorway, it falls to the M6 Toll and its operator, Midlands Expressway, to prove that the road charging model has a future in the UK. I hope they will therefore cooperate with us and recognise that current arrangements are failing motorists and local residents.”