motoring guide

New government, new motoring?

After months of campaigning, historic television debates, "bigot-gate" and queues outside polling stations, the public finally made its choice as to who will run the country for at least the next four years. But it was undecided.

The result was a hung parliament, with the Conservatives holding a small majority ahead of Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Days of discussion followed, with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg switching dance partners before finally deciding to team up with Conservative leader David Cameron.

So what does this new coalition government mean for motorists? The nature of the alliance between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems, two parties at opposing ends of the political scale, makes for an intriguing future for policy, not only within the Department for Transport, but in the wider government.

A number of changes were introduced by the Labour government which were significant for motorists. The scrappage scheme made low-carbon vehicles affordable and encouraged thousands of people to purchase new, environmentally friendly models.

Not to be outdone, many used car dealerships also decided to offer money-off deals to take advantage of the interest in buying vehicles that was generated by the scrappage scheme. All of this made for a variety of offers for motorists looking for a new car, whether that was brand new or pre-owned.

Also along the eco-friendly lines, Labour invested in the move towards the wider use of electric vehicles, taking steps to develop a charging infrastructure and putting money into the manufacturing and testing associated with electric cars.

Labour's time in the government also saw a rise in the number of speed cameras on the roads, which ministers and road safety charities like Brake insisted were an important part of reducing deaths on Britain's roads.

But the Conservatives have long opposed the devices. In October last year, the then shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers announced the party's plans to end the "relentless expansion of fixed speed cameras". She unveiled this intention along with a policy to take a tough line on road works.

The Conservatives planned to crack down on rogue clampers, shorten the time it takes to reopen motorways after incidents have occurred, free up data on the phasing of traffic lights and allow councils to pilot innovative transport schemes like turn left on red for cyclists.

"A Conservative government will focus on tackling the congestion that is costing the economy billions, and the resulting hassle that has made travelling in the UK so grim," Ms Villiers said at the time.

"We will empower road users with the information they need to understand and influence the decisions which affect their daily commute," she added.

These plans later translated into the party's manifesto, along with plans to introduce a lorry road user charge, so that foreign lorries pay tax. The Conservatives intended to facilitate the switch to green cars by creating a national car recharging network, as started by the Labour government.

The Tories also intended to "free local transport funding from the requirement to introduce congestion charging", instead planning to create a Transport Carbon Reduction Fund to support green projects such as initiatives to encourage walking, cycling and bus use.

Finally, they planned to consider a "fuel price stabiliser", in which taxes are reduced if the price of oil rises sharply".
But this is no ordinary government, with the Lib Dems also having their say when it comes to transport. They wanted to make travel more environmentally friendly and this was a main focus in their manifesto.

The Lib Dems were keen to improve public transport and provide "much-needed alternatives to private cars", thereby cutting carbon emissions. However, they acknowledged the continuing need for car travel, saying that it needed to be as eco-friendly as possible.

They intended to work through the EU for a zero emissions target for all new cars by 2040 and extend goals to other vehicles. The Lib Dems also proposed to undertake preparations for the introduction of a system of road pricing, which would be "revenue-neutral" for motorists. Any money made from cars would be used to abolish vehicle excise duty and reduce fuel tax, helping people in rural areas who have no alternatives to road travel. The revenue from lorries would be used to fund further extensions of the high speed rail network.

The Lib Dems also wanted to introduce a rural fuel discount scheme which would allow a reduced rate of duty to be paid in remote country areas, as is allowed under EU law.

So how did the two parties compromise on some conflicting policies and come up with the final plans for transport in this country?

Conservative MP Phillip Hammond was selected as the new transport secretary and soon after his appointment promised to end the "war on the motorist". Within a day of taking on the job, he confirmed that the new administration would bring in the fuel price stabiliser that the Conservatives had considered.

While this could see taxes reduced if the price of oil rises significantly, motorists may also be hit by higher fuel duties if the cost of petrol and diesel falls. Mr Hammond said that the measure would end the dramatic fluctuations in pump prices that have hit drivers in recent years.

"We will end the war on motorists. Motoring has got to get greener but the car is not going to go away," he said.

Mr Hammond also saw through one of the Conservatives key campaign pledges, the end of speed cameras. He confirmed that there would be no Whitehall cash for new fixed speed cameras. Road safety partnerships will have to pay for new devices out of their own funds, although any fines will still go to the Treasury.

The new coalition government will also press ahead with Conservative plans to crack down on rogue private clamping firms.

Mr Hammond also confirmed that the new administration would not introduce any form of road pricing, going against the Lib Dem plans for the country. However, motorists could see tolls on new roads being introduced. These would be limited to new projects and would not be introduced on existing motorways, even where they have been widened.

08 Jun 2010