M6 Toll talks to scrap fee on motorway after major accidents to ease queues
The West Midlands Combined Authority has confirmed it is in talks with the Government to give the region powers over the M6 Toll.
Bosses say they want control over removing the toll when major accidents occur in a bid to reduce congestion and delays on the region's motorways and A-roads.
A report to the WMCA board meeting said talks were ongoing with the Department for Transport and the Treasury over 'protocols and mechanisms for better West Midlands engagement in the operation of the M6 Toll'. Currently the route's operators have the powers to lift the toll in times of emergency.
WMCA's transport chief Councillor Roger Lawrence said: "We want to be able to push the button to switch to free mode as quickly as possible in the event of problems on the main network.
"The system in place at the moment is too restrictive and much too slow. By the time the toll is lifted people are already stuck in long queues.
"With more control we could prevent the roads from becoming immersed in gridlock."
It comes amid growing calls for the route to be nationalised, an option that Mr Lawrence said was one of a number the WMCA was exploring.
"We are very interested in any plan that makes better use of the existing road network," he added.
"Nationalising the M6 Toll may only reduce traffic from the M6 by around 15-20 per cent, but that would still enable us to make better use of the roads we have got."
Labour's candidate for West Midlands Mayor, Siôn Simon said: "M6 If the M6 Toll was nationalised and free to use – like nearly every other road in the country – this traffic would travel around the West Midlands instead of clogging up the M6 and the roads connected to it.
"My message to the Tory government in London is this: the case is compelling – nationalise the toll road and make it free to use."
The M6 Toll has been on the market for £1.9 billion since last year. The Government says it has no plans to buy it and make it free.
