This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/south_east/7017087.stm

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Businesses call for road charges Businesses call for road charges
(about 2 hours later)
A business organisation has called for the introduction of road charges as part of a new transport strategy for south east Wales. Business leaders want to charge drivers for using roads in order to pay for an overhaul of the transport network to stop the "stranglehold" on the economy.
A report by Cardiff Chamber of Commerce said charging people every time they use their cars will help pay for road upgrades and better public transport. Cardiff Chamber of Commerce says the road systems in south east Wales are too congested and that has a detrimental impact on businesses.
Chief Executive Russell Goodway said businesses were willing to invest £500m if tolls income was guaranteed. It fears the Welsh economy will fall behind other parts of the UK unless something is done to improve roads.
Friends of the Earth Cymru said more roads were "not the answer". It estimates £500m is needed to improve the infrastructure.
Traffic grid lock after two fatal crashes on the M4 in two months has highlighted the issue of the transport infrastructure in and around Cardiff and the south east of Wales. Traffic gridlock after two fatal crashes on the M4 in two months has highlighted the issue of the transport infrastructure in and around Cardiff and the south east of Wales.
This month Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said a 14-mile (22.5km) M4 relief road from Magor to Castleton could be open in 2013. Cardiff Chamber of Commerce said charging drivers is the only way a major road expansion programme, which would include a new dual lane ring road around Cardiff and increasing the capacity of the M4 could be paid for.
Transport infrastructure improvements are never going to be paid for without some form of road charging Russell Goodway, Cardiff Chamber of Commerce It said its 1,400 member businesses in and around Cardiff and the south Wales valleys see congestion as the number one issue affecting their trade.
The chamber of commerce's report said its 1,400 member businesses in and around Cardiff and the south Wales valleys see congestion as the number one issue affecting their trade. TRANSPORT PROPOSALS Increase capacity of M4 at Newport and jcts 29-32, Heads of the Valleys, Cardiff airport link, Cardiff EastInvest in rail and bus infrastructureRoad pricing to spread traffic load more evenly across dayBus lanes inc A470 Cardiff-Pontypridd, A48 Culverhouse Cross-Cardiff; A469 Caerphilly-Cardiff; A48 Cardiff-NewportPark and rides east, north and west of CardifffLonger, more modern and frequent trains; more trains to airportSource: Cardiff Chamber of Commerce's Transport Forum report
It predicts transport problems will become a "stranglehold" on the region's economy without a "radical programme" of improvements. Chief executive Russell Goodway said: "It's (the traffic congestion) a stranglehold on the economy at the moment - the closure of the M4 on two occasions in recent months cost local businesses millions in lost productivity and just failing to get their people into work.
These include the completion of the Cardiff Bay link road through Cardiff East, an airport link road to the M4 via Junction 34, bus corridors on major routes into Cardiff and park-and-ride schemes to the east, north and west of the city. "Transport infrastructure improvements are never going to be paid for without some form of road charging - we have to accept it's not a case of "if" but "when".
Mr Goodway called on government and local government to show "strategic leadership" on the funding required for transport improvements and balancing those decisions with environmental and social concerns.
Russell Goodway said Cardiff faced grid lock at peak hours within three years
He said: "Transport infrastructure improvements are never going to be paid for without some form of road charging - we have to accept it's not a case of "if" but "when".
"Leadership is needed from government and local government to start the debate."Leadership is needed from government and local government to start the debate.
"Unless we change things, we will have grid lock in Cardiff at peak hours within two or three years.""Unless we change things, we will have grid lock in Cardiff at peak hours within two or three years."
He said the Severn Bridge showed Wales had run road tolls successfully for 40 years and the private sector would provide the finance for future investment - which he estimated at £500m - provided the regulation of the road-charge schemes was agreed. The chamber's report also looks at opening up bus "corridors" on main routes, improving rail services and the links to Cardiff International Airport and ports.
'Yesterday's solution' Mr Goodway said millions of pounds were needed to pay for the infrastructure to be improved.
The report describes so-called road pricing as "a sophisticated tool" that can "act as a constraint on car use, which if left unchecked will strangle the Welsh economy". "The estimates carried out by Cardiff Council three years ago put a price tag of around £500m on what needs to be done," he said.
Friends of the Earth Cymru said transport was one of the significant contributors to climate change. "There's complete acceptance that the money needed to put those solutions in place will not come from traditional sources that is tax payers funds.
Mr Davies said congestion was a problem in Cardiff and Newport
"Therefore we are going to have to turn to the private sector to generate the money.
"As much as we would like it to replace road fund licenses and fuel duty we need to make sure south Wales stays ahead of the game.
"Other cities and other regions of the UK are already looking at road pricing schemes and if Wales falls behind then the economy of Wales falls behind," he added.
But Friends of the Earth Cymru has warned about the effects on the environment of improving and expanding the road network and said more roads were "not the answer".
It said transport was one of the significant contributors to climate change.
Director Gordon James said: "Building roads will inevitably generate more traffic and more carbon dioxide.Director Gordon James said: "Building roads will inevitably generate more traffic and more carbon dioxide.
"Building roads is yesterday's solution - it does not make much sense in the age of climate change.""Building roads is yesterday's solution - it does not make much sense in the age of climate change."
He added that the M4 could be "upgraded sufficiently to ease congestion" rather than building the M4 relief road.He added that the M4 could be "upgraded sufficiently to ease congestion" rather than building the M4 relief road.