WHILE everyone’s attention is on the damage caused by high fuel prices, a new report effectively proposes imposing road pricing on our major roads (both new and existing).

It can even be read as suggesting them for our local roads, ultimately forcing drivers to pay to travel on roads everywhere.

It’s only a few years since nearly two million people signed a petition against road pricing.

Britain’s drivers already pay through the nose – roughly £50 billion each year in taxes in return for about £8 billion in roads investment.

This has unfortunately been the pattern for many years.

Investment in relieving our congested roads has in fact been paid for in advance several times over.

When families everywhere are feeling the pinch on motoring costs, there is absolutely no case for adding to our tax burden.

I am pleased to see that our new Transport Secretary, Justine Greening, has previously stood up for the travelling public and saw off the threat of rip-off charges for vehicles using Heathrow airport.

These proposals are nothing less than “highway robbery”

and she must reject them outright.

For more information, please visit fairdealabd.

org.uk/notolls.htm.

BRIAN GREGORY, Chairman, Association of British Drivers.