PigBlog

There was an article in tonight’s Express & Star that was a reprint of this Spectator article, discussing the M6 Toll, it’s usefullness, midlands motorway congestion, and the financing of the road.

Leaving out the blatantly incorrect:

“The days when paying the toll could save motorists half an hour are gone; having been through the M5/M6 junction half a dozen times recently, I have only once had to queue for more than a few minutes.”

(I have the misfortune to use Ray Hall interchange frequently, and trust me, that is not representative)

It was an interesting article. Leaving aside the way that Midland Expressway have restructured their accounts for financial advantage, and to pay dividends to the parent company, there’s the fact that the M6T is unique- it’s the longest toll road in the country, and took a long time and a lot of controversy to build: it goes straight through Weeford and Brownhills West, for example.

I’m personally a fan: It gives me a motorway junction close to home, and an alternative route to work if the M6/M5 gets really bad, bypassing them with the M42. I’d prefer it cheaper, of course, but the price keeps it quiet for those times I feel like paying for the convenience. Isn’t that supposed to be what all these private sector initiatives are meant to give us? Choice?

It pains me to say, but another plus point (unless you live in it’s path…) is that Midland Expressway are to build the much needed link between the M54 and the M6 North/M6T:

View Larger Map

which should relieve the A460. Of course, this might have the advantage of putting more money the way of Midland Expressway.

I’m a bit uncertain what the article is trying to say: it says that there’s little traffic on the M6T, and that it’s not worth using (as per the quote above) then hints that it’s a licence to print money:

“But it was Martin Blaiklock, an infrastructure consultant with an irritating habit of digging into the figures (irritating to those who would rather he didn’t, that is) who came up with a more uncomfortable analysis. The road produces revenues of more than £50 million a year, but despite the low running costs, it has never generated a corporation tax liability since it opened in 2003.”

It complains at the cost too. If the cost is ridiculous, where is that £50 million coming from? Not the hauliers, that’s for sure.

Anyway: I’m rambling. Any comments, especially from locals? The road is quite close to em, but a damn site closer for some of you.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 22:27 and is filed under Cars & Driving . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.