A bizarre proposal has been put forward to raise funds for to improve the country’s transport infrastructure in an entry for the £250,000 Wolfson economics prize to reduce traffic jams.
Outlined in the plan submitted by AA president Edmund King and his wife, business analyst Deirdre, is the potential creation of the STFC A420 and the Nationwide M4.
The Road Miles proposal is submitted by Edmund King in a personal capacity rather than part of the AA, and the hope is it will change the way people are charged for driving in the UK.
UK motorists are currently charged some of the highest taxes throughout Europe yet are expected to use an ever increasing congested road network.
The proposal suggest a US-style ‘Adopt-a-Highway’ scheme, whereby businesses help pay for litter collections in return for roadside advertising.
In addition to the road naming rights the Kings also recommend a ‘Road Miles’ charging structure.
They believe drivers should be given 3,000 free Road Miles each year and then pay a small fee for driving further distances, in a bid to reduce non-essential journeys.
Car drivers would pay less than 1p per mile in the first year with concessions for those living in rural areas and the disabled.
A nationwide lottery and auction would then be held of extra miles and the monies raised would be used to keep the scheme’s costs down and fund maintenance such as pothole repairs.
They hope their plan would see fuel duty drop from 58 pence per litre to 47 pence within the first five years, while more than £3 billion in extra investment for roads could be generated.
Mr King claimed Road Miles would be ‘miles better, fairer, greener, safer’.
He said: “Drivers fed up with current cones, congestion and chaos will be compensated for delays and have a say in how our roads are run.”
His wife said: “Road Miles will bridge the gap between falling fuel duty revenue and the electric vehicle revolution.
“More money will be available for roads, yet the motorist will pay less as extra income from the Road Miles lottery, naming rights and auction will supplement revenues.”
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