Welsh Conservatives blast suggestion of tolls for older cars on Wales’ roads
Conservatives have blasted a suggestion in a government survey that older cars could be asked to pay tolls on some Welsh roads.
The Welsh Government asked motorists for their views on paying to use parts of the M4 motorway and A470 in order to tackle air pollution, but say there are “currently no plans for congestion charges”.
The suggested tolls would be on the M4 around Newport and the A470 around Pontypridd, two of Wales’ busiest stretches of road, with prices ranging from £3 to £8 for petrol cars registered before 2006 and diesels plated before September 2015.
But Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters said: “To be clear there are no plans and there are no discussions about road charging. Our focus is on improving public transport, active travel and car sharing to give people real alternatives to driving.”
However, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Described it as a “kick in the teeth for hardworking people, and would hit the poorest in our society”.
He added that it was a “sure-fire way to continue to hold back the Welsh economy”.
Former Welsh Secretary and Vale of Glamorgan MP Aun Cairns said: “Having scrapped the Severn Tolls almost three years ago, I can’t believe that the Welsh Government are proposing options to toll the M4. Why are they so anti-commuter and anti-business?”
A Welsh government spokeswoman said that despite being included in the survey there were currently no plans for extra charges on Wales’ roads.
“In a separate piece of work, in line with our legal obligations to reduce harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide, we have commissioned surveys to gain people’s views on clean air zone proposals on the M4 between junctions 25 and 26 in Newport and on the A470 between Upper Boat and Pontypridd,” they added.
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In reality hes more worried about the effect on cost of driving guzzing SUV’s than he is in the ordinary person….Some tough choices before us – keep going as we are and totally stuff it up for future generations or bite the bullet now and make the neccessary sacrifices. Getting rid of more polluting cars is obviously something that needs doing and doing urgently. What about air quality and health of those hard working people Mussolini?
I do have this worry, that big cities will get clear air zones with tolls for older cars, but other places will get all these old diesels on the second hand market that they don’t want.
I see rent-a-gob-sh**e has managed to get his face featured here again.
Was that inset neccessary?
Johnson then delayed the Ultra Low Emission Zone for 8 years which, according to his own City Hall figures, killed 4,000 a year.
QUOTE A Welsh government spokeswoman said … there were currently no plans for extra charges on Wales’ roads. … Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters said: “To be clear there are no plans and there are no discussions about road charging.” Now what was that fuss about?
The Welsh Assembly Government is anti-business.
Obviously that isn’t the case and you know it, so what’s the point in writing it?
Firstly, get your facts right! The Welsh Assembly was abolished thankfully. It reverted back to its rightful name. Senedd Cymru or Welsh Parliament in 2020 after an absence of 600 yrs thanks to it being dissolved by the English crown. Democracy they or you know not of. And it’s only your opinion whether the Welsh Labour Government are anti-business. Others might differ, agree or disagree. My observation of you makes me think that you are not politically aware and have a very limited knowledge of your own country’s system of governance, which is a tad worrying as you have the… Read more »
Anything Andrew RT Davies says is like listening to white-noise. Remember, this is a man who thought Brexit was “breakfast” , who stated Wales needed a “big of Dom” referring to the exiled & scorned Dominic Cummins. and echoed his then Welsh Tory leader Paul Davies regarding “not stepping on Westminster’s turf by respecting what’s not devolved”, just before his master in Whitehall Boris Johnson drove his fat arse over our turf in his gas guzzling 4×4.