25th April 2007

You wouldn't believe some of the things I get up to when I'm away from my desk. Take 16 April, for example. Should I accept an invitation to do some daytime filming for ITV1 (thereby earning myself a few quid!) or take the British Chambers of Commerce up on its offer to make a speech (for free!) at its 2007 Conference?

	It was left to little old me to take the platform and make a speech to express the strongest possible objections to the road tolls scam

I chose the latter, not least because the BCC has issued a statement saying it has "indicated conditional support for the principle of road pricing" which, in my view, is a mistake. What's more, to support its position, the organisation wheeled in a conference chairman and a couple of other 'independent' speakers who were also in favour of tolls. And for good measure, a leading Conservative politician was also in front of the conference, demonstrating that his party has mixed feelings on the thorny subject. However - crucially important, this - he refused to rule out the prospect of tolls if the Tories win the next election.

So it was left to little old me to take the platform and make a speech expressing the strongest possible objections to the road tolls scam. I reminded delegates that there is one very simple reason why the people and businesses of Britain should not be subjected to road charges, or to be precise, additional charges: they pay enough already. In fact, they more than pay their way. There's simply no getting away from it - the road network has already been bought and paid for many times over by vehicle owners and drivers stumping up scores of billions of pounds every year in direct and indirect road user taxation.

Latest figures supplied to me on the morning of my address showed that the Treasury is currently grossing around £50billion per annum from us via motoring tax. And equally up to date is the revelation that it hands only around £7billion back to us by way of better, safer roads.

To be fair, there's a hint that if and when a nationwide road toll system is introduced and we start paying up to £1.34 for every mile we drive (and never forget, that's an additional £1.34 per mile) we'll receive some sort of financial 'rewards' to compensate for the colossal extra sums the majority of us will shell out in pence per mile or pounds per mile fees.

Based on the figure of £1.34 - a figure that the Government has not denied - drivers would spend thousands of pounds more on their journeys every year. But will they be paying thousands of pounds less on vehicle, fuel and insurance tax over the same period? Of course not.

That's not how it will work. What will happen is The Treasury will ensure that its lucrative Westminster-based corporation called Road Tolling PLC will earn the Government countless extra billions. Then it will try to soften the blow by abolishing or reducing a comparatively minor tax such as the road fund licence. At the end of the year, we'll spend thousands on tolls, and get a few hundred (if that) back in concessions. The result? The Government will become considerably wealthier while the majority of road users become substantially less well off. For some, the arrival of expensive road tolls (even with the promise of a sweetener) will mean they'll be priced out of their cars. Is that improving the lives of decent, honest men, women and children?

Lodge your objections to the introduction of these road charges by sending letters or postcards to the "Just Say No To Road Tolls" Campaign, Motorists' Association, PO Box 325, Brands Hatch, Kent DA3 7JU.

Mike Rutherford writes for the Times, Daily Telegraph and Independent, presents ITV's Pulling Power and is founder member of the Motorists' Association

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