Sir, As a survivor of the Smeed committee, which in 1964 judged road pricing desirable and feasible, I share your dismay (leading article, June 6, see also letters, June 8) at procrastination once more masquerading as tearing ambition.

Some motorists worry about their movements becoming too well known. Alistair Darling could have reassured them by adopting and developing the safeguards suggested in the 2002 report, Motoring Towards 2050, by the RAC Foundation, which I then chaired.

Others are understandably sceptical, believing that the Government will use road pricing (replacing fuel duty) to raise still more revenue from road users. Mr Darling could have told us what principles he believes should govern that substitution.

What of the 10 to 15 years before he thinks there could be a national scheme? Traffic grows. Will he let it be choked by congestion, at great cost to the economy? The more he allows congestion to build, the greater the price hike needed to get the roads moving again. Or will he risk the wrath of protesters and stem congestion by raising fuel duty? Or will he, as Ray Eddington is suggesting, try to beat congestion by increasing road capacity?

Unless road capacity is increased, we will suffer either from increasing congestion or higher road taxation, both disastrously unnecessary outcomes. We know that the returns from increasing road capacity more than justify very substantially higher investment than now. Achieving a better outcome requires decisive action by Mr Darling now.

CHRISTOPHER FOSTER
Holland Park, London

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