The ten-year growth forecast of 17 per cent in UK road traffic levels would lead to a 65 per cent increase in congestion by 2010. The cost to the country of the delays alone has been estimated at £20 billion a year.

In the Government's plan for transport to 2010, a pledge was made to reduce the current level of congestion. Arguably ambitious, it has raised the subject of road user charging. The topic is being debated across the UK, both at local and central government level: the national press is hotly on the case. But schemes in Durham and London have shown not only that road user charging can be made to work in the UK, but also that the political fallout may not be as bad as at first feared. In going nationwide the key, ultimately, is flexibility. For example, having the means to positively discriminate in favour of the rural motorist, the disabled driver, or the green vehicle, without incurring massive administrative overheads.

Most of today s road user charging schemes are based on point charging (payment of a single fee in order for a vehicle to pass a specific point) or cordon charging (establishment of charging or monitoring points at all entries to a given area). Both methods are unsuitable for application over a wide area because of lack of flexibility and the high costs of the infrastructure and administration involved. However, continuous charging is the road user charging method of the future. An elegantly simple solution is available— already proven in similar applications — based upon existing mobile operators networks. It can calculate fees based upon distance travelled, for entering a cordon, or for simply passing through a particular point, and those charges can be varied by (for example) the time spent travelling, the type of vehicle, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the solution can operate over a virtually unlimited area. Suitable for both new implementations and extensions to existing schemes this solution provides the opportunity, albeit within a fairly short window, for the UK to establish a world lead in this politically and emotionally charged arena. This paper proposes a road user charging solution based on available and proven technology, requiring minimum investment for maximum effectiveness. Road user charging in the UK is now not a question of if; it s a question of when. And, unsurprisingly, the next question — already at front of mind for many — is how.