XN000022-1983-03-25 — Page 4

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1983

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MR SCOTT SAID IT WAS NECESSARY TO HAVE A PILOT STAGE LECAUSE THE DECISION TO INTRODUCE THE SYSTEM COULD BE TAKEN ONLY WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WAS ENTIRELY SATISFIED THAT THE TECHNOLOGICAL ELEMENTS HAD BEEN FULLY TESTED ON SITE, THAT THE TRANSPORT BENEFITS WERE PROVEN AND THAT THE SYSTÈM COULD BE IMPLEMENTED AND OPERATED SATISFACTORILY.

AT PRESENT THE INTENTION IS TO CHARGE PRIVATE VEHICLES ONLY, BECAUSE THESE ARE THE LEAST EFFICIENT USERS OF ROAD SPACE. WHETHER ANY OTHER VEHICLES, SUCH AS GOODS VEHICLES, SHOULD PAY, AND WHAT THE LEVEL OF CHARGES GENERALLY SHOULD BE, WILL BE WORKED OUT DURING THE PILOT STAGE.

THE PILOT STAGE, WHICH WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY THE UNITED KINGDOM DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT, WILL TAKE ABOUT 21 MONTHS. THE DECISION ON WHETHER TO PROCEED WITH A FULL ELECTRONIC ROAD PRICING SYSTEM WILL BE TAKEN IN MID-1985, AND, IF APPROVED, ITS IMPLEMENTATION WILL TAKE ABOUT TWO YEARS.

THE PILOT STAGE WILL BE CARRIED OUT WITH ENPS FITTED TO ABOUT 5 000 VEHICLES, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT VEHICLES. PRIVATE MOTORISTS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL NOT BE INCONVENIENCED.

THE FULL SYSTEM IS ESTIMATED TO COST APPROXIMATELY $300 TO $350 MILLION TO INSTAL.

→THE MINORITY IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO USE PRIVATE VEHICLES MAY INITIALLY SEE IT AS A FURTHER FINANCIAL RESTRAINT, BUT | HOPE ON REFLECTION THEY WILL ACCEPT THE FAIRNESS OF THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED TO PAY WILL TRAVEL MORE FREELY BECAUSE ALL TRAFFIC WILL TRAVEL MORE FREELY, MR SCOTT SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE WOULD BE VERY SIGNIFICANT. FOR INSTANCE:

(A) FUEL CONSUMPTION WOULD BE REDUCED;

(B) VEHICLE OPERATING COSTS WOULD DROP;

(c)

(D)

POLLUTION WOULD BE REDUCED, PARTICULARLY AS MOST FUMES FROM MOTOR EXHAUSTS OCCUR IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC:

THE ACCIDENT RATE, INVOLVING BOTH VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS, SHOULD DROP; AND

(E) DRIVERS WOULD SUFFER LESS FRUSTRATION.

IN THE LONG TERM, MR SCOTT SAID, FURTHER BENEFITS COULD ACRLE FROM THE OPPORTUNITY TO RE-ASSESS THE LEVEL AND PATTERNS

VELOPMENT OF THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE, WHEN TRAFFIC FLOWS AND MIXES CAN BE CONTROLLED.

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