Road pricing plans hit Parliament

It's enough to send mororists to an early grave because road pricing has reached Parliament for the first time. The plans will allow English councils to introduce charging schemes on a trial basis, and 10 councils have already expressed an interest.

The government says the pilot 'pay as you go' scheme is necessary to see how road pricing works. All of this is despite a petition signed by 1.8 million motorists at the start of 2007 opposing road pricing.

Government ministers say the plan is required because doing nothing will result in a 25 per cent increase in congestion in less than 10 years.