Federation of Small Businesses - Rest of UK should learn from Scotland

Rest of UK should learn from Scotland on road tolls, says FSB

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has written to the Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly, to call on the Government to follow the lead of the Scottish Government, which recently published a bill to abolish road tolls across Scotland.

Transport, especially road transport, is fundamental to businesses in Britain. Almost half of small businesses carry out their trade within twenty miles of their base. In a recent FSB survey of 3,500 members, 69% of businesses said that they could not reduce their vehicle usage and 93% said that a vehicle was either crucial or important to their business.

An example is the M6 toll road, which provides an alternative to the ‘free to use’ stretch that already exists. The FSB supports a system which provides the road user with a choice. However, many businesses choose alternative routes in order to avoid paying a toll charge for crossing a bridge or passing through a tunnel because of the increased costs involved. The effects are greater congestion in surrounding areas and increased carbon emissions.

The FSB believes that removing road tolls will reduce the overall road cost on business and remove a significant barrier to business growth. This growth will boost the economy and create more jobs, as well as more tax revenue to invest in new road-building schemes.

Chris Glen, FSB Transport Chairman, said:

“The Scottish Government took the welcome step of abolishing road tolls across the whole of Scotland. The UK Government needs to follow suit.

“Transport presents a significant cost for small businesses and it is essential that the Government finds ways to relieve this burden to increase competitiveness. The FSB urges the Government to follow the Scottish example and legislate to abolish tolls on bridges, tunnels and crossings, where there are no toll-free alternatives.

“This move would free up businesses to grow and create more jobs. The resulting economic growth would generate more funds for the Government to spend on more and better roads. It should be a priority for this Government to achieve as soon as possible.”