An MP has branded the M6 Toll a ‘rich person’s motorway’ in the House of Commons and called for charges to be dropped when required in a bid to reduce congestion on nearby motorways.
It comes after a serious crash in February left the M6 closed for 24 hours, resulting in chaos on nearby roads.
The issue was debated in the House of Commons after Solihull MP Julian Knight made the suggestion that toll charges should be dropped in situations like this.
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He said: “If the M6 toll is to serve the best interests of the West Midlands and our economy as it was built to, we must see fundamental reform of how it operates, especially during gridlock and crisis situations.”
It’s already possible for the M6 Toll to be opened to the public for free when required, but owner Midlands Expressway demands a payment of £300,000 per day plus VAT – meaning it’s never actually happened. The cost of the incident in February to the local economy caused by traffic issues was estimated to exceed £40 million.
The 27-mile stretch of motorway costs £5.50 for car drivers on weekdays, dropping to £4.80 at weekends and £3.80 at night.
Knight added: “We should also consider lowering the day-to-day costs of the M6 Toll.”
MPs recently called for the Government to buy the M6 Toll and reduce the fees faced by the 50,000 drivers who use it every year.