National congestion charge?

"Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, will use his first address since the election to launch a 'national debate' on the importance of introducing a national road-pricing scheme to solve Britain's chronic congestion." Well it's not quite as the heaedlines nd first para make it seem; just a debate, but I think the aim is to produce a climate in which 'polluter pays' would become a policy tenet, in effect. Hugely significant if it can go thorugh, not only because it would mean that actual journeys would be taxed/fee-payable [thus eliminating road tax as a flat-rate fee for ownership of a vehicle] but also because it creates or helps to create a sense that the way things are used should make a difference to their price if they have repurcussions for others. A kind of hypothecation of fee-payment may become possible. My main concern about this proposal is that if it has no room for dealing with the fossil carbon issue. From that point of view a carbon tax might be a better idea.

The Observer | UK News | Drivers to pay �1.30 per mile: [:roads:]