MINISTERS are to get new powers to impose road pricing schemes in cities and on trunk roads to combat congestion, according to a leaked cabinet paper.

Douglas Alexander, the transport secretary, is planning a bill to go before parliament as early as next year which will pave the way for motorists to be charged on a pay-as-you-drive basis in future.

The idea is different from London’s congestion charge, where a flat fee is paid for entering parts of the capital. Instead, motorists could have black boxes fitted in their cars and be sent itemised bills depending on how far they drive and which routes they take.

Unlike other European countries such as France, Italy and Norway, Britain has only one major road where tolls are payable — a short stretch of motorway north of Birmingham which can be used as an alternative to the M6.

At present it is up to local authorities to propose road pricing schemes, but Alexander wants to take control with new powers for him to introduce charging systems in cities which would all be compatible with each other.

He argues in a letter to cabinet colleagues that it is important for his department to set prices and national standards. Otherwise drivers travelling from city to city could be confused. He also admits that it may be necessary to impose charges not just within the central parts of cities but also on the trunk roads that surround them.

In his letter, dated July 20, he proposes a new road transport bill. “The main purpose of the bill would be to support our efforts to cut congestion and improve public transport, particularly in the major cities outside London,” he writes.

“It would also help to pave the way for a national road pricing scheme in the medium to long term.”

He notes that when the government gave local councils powers to introduce road pricing six years ago, its position was “very different from where we are now”.

“I would propose reforming the current arrangements for approving local road pricing schemes, providing better targeted powers to ensure that schemes are consistent with a national framework and are inter-operable.”

He adds that charging may extend to trunk roads: “Current legislation offers very limited powers for pricing on the trunk-road network outside of the area of a local scheme. We are considering pilots on the trunk-road network as an important stage towards national road pricing.”

Alexander has already pledged £10m to firms which may be able to deliver the technology required.

Regions that are interested in road pricing include Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and Tyne and Wear.

The urgency of reducing congestion was reinforced by government figures published last week which suggested motorists could waste up to an extra day a year sitting in traffic jams by 2010 if nothing is done.

Ministers have abandoned a pledge made in 2000 to reduce congestion by 8% in cities by the end of the decade. Instead, the Department for Transport has released new targets under which it is assumed that congestion will increase in nine of the 10 largest urban areas in the country.

The target for Bristol would be met if average journey times were to increase by no more than 14% — equivalent to an extra 24 hours a year. Journey times for Nottingham are likely to increase by 10.5% and by 7.9% in South Yorkshire.

Last month Alexander’s department shelved a proposal to build a tolled “expressway” parallel to the existing M6 between Birmingham and Manchester, opting instead to widen the existing motorway because it would be 15% cheaper and would be less disruptive.

The move also followed considerable objection to the new expressway plans from environmental groups because of the extra land it would require.

Alexander’s letter is addressed to Jack Straw, the Commons leader, who is responsible for putting together the Queen’s speech in the autumn.

The Sunday Times has also seen a letter from Straw to colleagues outlining what could be Tony Blair’s last legislative programme containing 13 bills.

The list contains few new ideas and is far from the radical programme that some of the prime minister’s acolytes would have liked to see in his parting Queen’s speech.

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