ROAD congestion, and its possible solutions, are in the news. Beating congestion is a major target for the UK freight industry -- the delays and unreliability caused by the problem cost UK industry, and thus the consumer, around £20B per year. An astonishing sum.

From 2006, all goods vehicles will be operating on a distance tax basis -- satellite tracking will charge lorry operators a mileage rate related to the road they are on, the type of vehicle, the time of day, and the operating environment. Tax levels relating to VED and fuel duty will need to be reduced in order to meet the Government's repeated promise that there will be no net increase in the overall tax bill.

The transport industry has welcomed this prospect. Together with some strategic road building and improved public transport, we are convinced that some form of roads pricing is one of the measures required to help manage congestion.

But lorries are not the primary cause of congestion -- there are 55 cars on the road for every lorry. Something must be done or in five or 10 years' time none of us will be able to move on the road in our cars, and road freight transport will be paralysed, to the detriment of the economy and the consumer.

Common sense says that some means of road pricing will eventually apply to cars and that such a policy will eventually be welcomed and recognised, not as anti-motorist but as pro-movement.

Heather Crocker

Regional Director

Freight Transport

Association

Horsforth, Leeds