More road-charging debate pledged :: BBC

This is a debate we should be having in Dubai. As long as roads are free they are going to congested, we will spend tremendous amounts on the road for simple tasks like getting groceries, going to the doctor, or going out for an evening. And then you have all the additional heat and pollution created by car idling in traffic jams.

Be careful what you wish for - "free" roads - you just might get it.

Quote:

The transport secretary says he will listen to those opposed to the introduction of UK road charging.

Douglas Alexander pledged to hear the concerns of more than a million people who signed a petition opposing pay-as-you-drive road charges.

The government has insisted that doing nothing would lead to a 25% increase in congestion "in less than a decade".

More:

A BBC News trial of "pay as you drive" motoring suggests that some motorists with high mileage could face bills of more than £2,000 a year if the government presses ahead with its controversial road charging scheme.
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The news team has been monitoring the driving habits of four motorists from the West Midlands for a month to get an idea of the size of bills they could face.
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[Our car commuter] says that if the roads became less congested as a result of road charging, he might be able to cut 20 minutes off his journey and spend more time either with his family or actually working.

Each of the vehicles in our trial had a satellite navigation system installed which transmitted data to Television Centre 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, giving a precise minute-by-minute location of which road the vehicle was on and either the speed it was travelling - or whether it was parked up with the ignition off.

The data was processed according to a road charging model drawn up by transport expert Professor Stephen Glaister of Imperial College, London.