David Hutton, partner at national law firm Bevan Brittan, has urged the Government to support a new report by leading independent think tank Policy Exchange, calling for renewed investment in the UK’s transport infrastructure and the introduction of road user-charging schemes.

Speaking in London today (15 January) at the launch of the report, dubbed ‘Towards Better Transport’, projects partner Hutton also called for a renewed debate over the increasingly controversial issue of traffic congestion, which currently costs the UK economy around £20bn per year.

He further backed a recommendation by the Policy Exchange to introduce moderate road charging schemes at congestion hotspots across the UK.

Giving his speech to an invited audience of politicians, journalists and representatives from the private sector, Hutton said: “The report draws some conclusions that we support and, in essence, states that there is nothing to prevent the adoption of procurement and contractual structures to allow road user charging schemes to proceed.  Problems with other schemes can be avoided if proper legal, financial and political structures are in place.

He added: “Notwithstanding the emphasis on technology that any road user charging scheme may adopt, contractually we need to look at the procurement of infrastructure projects, not technology, for the right answers.” 

Hutton, who heads up Bevan Brittan’s Built Environment division, also called on the Government to back the report, asking: “Given that there appears to be a strong economic case, the technology exists and from a legal and financing point of view there is a genuine case for road user-charging, is there the political will?”

The report, which was produced in association with Bevan Brittan and Serco, was officially unveiled by former Minister of State for Transport Steven Norris. Norris is currently chair of the transport working groups in Conservative Party leader David Cameron's Quality of Life Commission and was also the driving force behind the Jubilee Line Extension, the largest extension of the London Underground network to date.

According to ‘Towards Better Transport’, the UK has some of the most crowded and congested roads, the fewest motorways and one of the worst public transport systems among the leading industrialised nations.

Research conducted for the report shows private road users paid out £32bn in transport-related taxes last year with just 25% (£8bn) going to investment in the UK’s road network.

The report calls for an immediate overhaul of the national transport infrastructure with the public asked to cover the cost of the work at a later date and only when significant user benefits have become apparent. It recommends the use of Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) – a model that has already achieved a successful track record across the transport sector – to fund the work.

The report also urges the launch of a new centralised UK roads agency – provisionally dubbed Network Road – in a drive to provide greater accountability for consumers and investors alike.

Policy Exchange chief economist Dr Oliver Hartwich comments: “Britain’s transport infrastructure is, quite simply, not fit for purpose and unable to meet the needs of a modern country.”

Commenting on the possibility of introducing road user charges, he warned: “The greatest barrier to pricing is public opinion. Having endured decades of special taxation for the benefit of general spending, motorists do not trust governments to introduce pricing from which they will benefit.”

Click here to read to Policy Exchange report in full.