My radical motorway plan

Again we hear our captains of commerce and industry quite rightly complaining about the stagnation and gridlock of our motorways.

The continuing ineptitude of our government to invest in solutions is what we have come to expect.

Unfortunately we are now a nation of followers, not leaders, so with this in mind any ideas to improve our situation by one of our long-suffering public will be looked on as radical nonsense, and be dismissed as unworkable, without a second thought, or it will cost too much in spite of spending billions on wars which the man in the street could not care less about.

So what would I do to solve the monumental traffic problems of this country?

First our local – the M5/M6 is gridlocked for most of the day, every day. The M5/M6 intersection is at a standstill, while the northern relief road put there to solve the problem, stands day by day almost empty.

With fair compensation to the owners, the government should purchase or hire the motorway and open it up, to do what it was supposed to do, relieve the M6.

Second (I can hear the gasps), take all heavy goods lorries off the motorways during the day, and let them have the motorways to themselves at night, let's say from 7pm till 6am. There are few places that could not be reached in this time, even with legal breaks. Space would be made by day, and goods would be in the right place for unloading in the morning. Costs saved on fuel and delays should go in part to the drivers, which would sweeten the pill for night work. Most supermarkets operate this system, and they know a good deal.

Third and most simple, abolish the Road Fund Licence, and put the cost on to fuel, with the exception of public transport. This, as we all know, would mean the bigger the vehicle and the more you use it, the more you would pay. What could be more fair? And it would cut down on pollution.

Fourth, massive investment in the railways, again carrying goods by night.

I know as I put my pen down, the above will be hailed as impossible twaddle, so who has some better ideas and can convince the cretins who, through their inactivity, make our lives a misery to get on with it? We need strong decisive action by our government, and quick.

D J Matthews, Lechlade Road, Great Barr.