Pollution levels may mean congestion tax

CAR congestion is being blamed for bad air quality in Stourbridge as borough bosses consider road pricing proposals.

A survey by Dudley Council has revealed areas of Wordsley, Quarry Bank and Lye all exceed national guidelines for nitrogen dioxide.

Vehicle exhausts have been identified as the main culprit and, with a predicted rise of up to 25 per cent in congestion by 2017, experts agree something must be done.

Dudley Council leaders are currently in negotiations with other West Midlands authorities about whether to apply for funding to introduce a pilot road pricing project in the region.

Transport group Centro are co-ordinating the talks which may lead to a proposal for submition to central government in July.

A final decision on which UK areas will get cash from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) is expected in December with schemes rolled out over four or five years.

Council cabinet member for transport, Angus Adams, said: "Doing nothing is not an option but personally I am not in favour of road pricing, motorists pay enough tax and there are other measures we can use."

Cllr Adams believes altering school opening times away from peak periods could make a difference in the battle against gridlock.

He said: "Look at any time schools are off, there are only half the problems."

Stourbridge Conservative parliamentary candidate Margot James is also against road pricing which she describes as a "knee-jerk reaction to failed transport policy."

Margot said: "What we need are improved rail and bus services, road pricing should be a last resort, not the starting point."

Both politicians appear to disagree with their party leader who, in 2005, sketched out his vision for road transport in a speech at the Centre for Policy Studies.

David Cameron said: "Britain now needs a concerted programme of road building, accompanied by the introduction of advanced traffic management methods, including new solutions for road charging based on usage and the time of day."

Meanwhile, councillors at Stourbridge Area Committee, on Monday March 12, will debate plans to declare Dudley borough an Air Quality Management Area.

If the scheme is approved by council cabinet in July officers would develop an action plan to improve air quality throughout the region, rather than just pollution hotspots.