Mayor: Drivers should use M6 Toll for free in event of major snarl-up
THE new owner of the M6 Toll Road has been urged to help keep the West Midlands transport network running more smoothly in an emergency.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street made the call following the announcement that Australian pension fund IFM has snapped up the UK’s only pay-as-you-go motorway.
The deal is a major setback to those who have called for the road to be nationalised or opened up for free to ease the traffic congestion which costs the region £2.2 billion a year.
Mr Street is keen to speak to both the Department for Transport and the new owners to strike a new deal which would make the road more readily available to regular traffic during a major crash or crisis, such as the closure of the M6 in February 2016.
The Post understands that plans were actually made to lift the toll during last month’s Aston bomb emergency, but it was not needed.
Proposals include setting an hourly rate, rather than daily, for the tolls to be temporarily lifted during an emergency and for that decision to be taken by the West Midlands mayor or police and crime commissioner, rather than the Transport Secretary.
The Conservative mayor said that new ownership also offered the chance for another look at the role the motorway played in the region’s economy.
“Most people acknowledge that M6 Toll Road, while providing an alternative route around the conurbation, does not contribute as much to the region would the as it could,” he said. “The most obvious example is when emergencies occur, for example when the M6 is closed for extended periods of time. We need a much more robust and slick system that would enable us to use the road to help keep traffic moving around the region. “This is not simply down to the operators and owners of the road, we also need to work closely with Government on this. I also believe that there is an opportunity to look at pricing policies, particularly around heavy goods vehicles.
“I look forward to working with the new owners and hope we can collaborate on strengthening the road’s value to the West Midlands transport network.”
Christian Seymour, Head of Infrastructure, Europe at IFM Investors, said: “M6 toll has an essential role to play in easing congestion at the heart of the UK motorway network, and we recognise its importance to the community and for commercial users.
“As a long-term investor investing on behalf of pension funds, including UK local authority pension schemes, we will be focused on operating M6 toll responsibly and ensuring its long-term viability.
“We bring significant knowledge from being a hands-on owner of toll roads for over 15 years, in which time we’ve delivered substantial benefit and value to these individual assets and the communities they serve.”