Hauliers threaten M6 toll boycott

Wednesday, 10 December 2003 12:00 AM

Hauliers last night threatened to boycott the M6 toll, the UK's first pay-as-you-go motorway.

Truck drivers are up in arms over the charges, currently £10 to £11 for every time they use it, according to the Road Haulage Association.

The £900 million private motorway, formerly the Birmingham Northern Relief Road, which links junctions 4 and 11A of the M6, opened yesterday.

It allows drivers between south-east and north-west of England to miss out traffic jams on the M6 near Birmingham and in doing so cut journey times by about 45 minutes.

The RHA said many of its members felt the charges on the 27-mile road were too high.

Charges are £2 for a car, £5 for a van and £10 for a truck.

Construction firm, Midland Expressway, which built the M6 toll, said charges may increase by £1 after 10 million vehicles use the road.

The motorway was conceived under the Conservatives in 1991 but approved by Labour six years later.

Employers' body, the Confederation of British Industry CBI, said the road would save businesses billions of pounds every year in reduced lost working time, fuel costs and faster delivery times.

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