Cameron to privatise Britain's roads...

[dutchman]

David Cameron is expected to call for much more private investment in England's road network.



The prime minister will say road tolls are one option, alongside attracting more money from sovereign wealth funds.

More work is needed to relieve gridlock by widening "pinch points" and allowing traffic to use the hard shoulder on motorways, he will say in a speech.

In a speech on infrastructure, Mr Cameron will say there is an urgent need to repair its "decades-long degradation" and to "build for the future with as much confidence and ambition as the Victorians once did".

He will argue it is clear there is not enough capacity on the roads in busy areas.

"There's nothing green about a traffic jam - and gridlock holds the economy back," he will say, according to pre-released extracts from the speech.

Part of the solution was to move more people and goods onto the rail network, Mr Cameron will say, "but also to widen pinch points, add lanes to motorways by using the hard shoulder to increase capacity and dual overcrowded A-roads".

But, at a time when government finances are tight, the prime minister will say "innovative approaches" are needed to finance road improvements.

"Road tolling is one option - but we are only considering this for new, not existing, capacity. For example, we're looking at how improvements to the A14 could be part-funded through tolling.

"But we now need to be more ambitious. Why is it that other infrastructure - for example water - is funded by private sector capital through privately owned, independently regulated, utilities... but roads in Britain call on the public finances for funding?

"We need to look urgently at the options for getting large-scale private investment into the national roads network - from sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and other investors."

A feasibility study looking at "new ownership and financing models" for roads will be carried out by the Treasury and Department of Transport, to report back by the autumn.

[dutchman]

[rebbonk]

[Spuffler]

It'll increase the prices of tourism, food, everything! But of course it won't matter, no-one except the rich will be able to afford a car anyway.....