Transport plan backs road charge and air travel
A plan for the transport system from 2015 will back national road pricing, streamlined planning decisions and air traffic expansion but rule out new high speed rail lines, sources close to an inquiry said on Wednesday.
A report by former British Airways chief Rod Eddington is expected to be published around the time of the mini budget on December 6 after an inquiry lasting 15 months.
"It will green light differentiated road pricing and urban congestion charging as long as they work together," one source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
"It will knock the Maglev (high speed north south rail link) on the head and opt instead for incremental improvements to the existing network between key transport nodes," the source added.
As a first step, improving links between London, Heathrow airport and the central English city of Birmingham are likely to be considered.
"The report will approve air traffic expansion in the context of its inclusion in emissions trading," the source said, noting that the government has already proposed that aviation carbon emissions be included in the European Union scheme.
"This will be the first test of the balance to be struck between the economic growth agenda and transport supporting activities versus the climate agenda," the source added.
A report last month by former World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern said that while actions now to curb carbon emissions would cost 1 percent of world economic output, delays could push the price up to 20 percent.
"This (transport) report is not going to rewrite current government policy," another source said. "Eddington is on record in support of the inclusion of aviation in emissions trading."
Both sources said they had seen drafts of the report but that the final version was still being revised.
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