ROAD charging should be introduced to cut congestion on the M62 between Liverpool and Manchester, a leading government agency has been told. Leaders of the Northern Way - the body set up to work out how to bridge the £30bn productivity gap between the North and South - have received recommendations that road charges must be introduced if the M62 isn't to become gridlocked within the next 15 years. Thousands of Merseyside and Cheshire motorists use the route every day, and a report for the quango by transport specialists Halcrow has concluded that the only way to tackle such congestion is to introduce tolls for road-users. It states that more simple measures, such as improving junctions and reducing speeds at busy times, would not solve the expected future congestion. The Northern Way group, made up of the three northern regional development agencies, is now trying to turn the plan into proposals for government funding. But regional leaders last night warned that charging for using the M62 would place Merseyside at a "competitive disadvantage." Opponents of the plan include business leaders and the North West Regional Assembly. Halcrow's investigations concluded that speeds in the morning rush-hour drop to as low as 40mph on the Liverpool-bound carriageway of the motorway, but improve to just below the 70mph speed limit during the evening rush hour. The eastbound carriageway, heading towards Manchester, can drop as low as 58mph during the evening rush-hour. The majority of delays are caused by volume of traffic and congestion problems. The report concludes that, by 2010, the number of vehicles using the road will rise to such an extent that tailbacks will become a regular feature of day-to-day life. This, it says, is because the M62 between Manchester and Liverpool will attract more motorists as Liverpool John Lennon Airport expands, along with significant new planned business developments along the route. Even if the airport causes the only additional pressure on the route, the M62 is likely to be significantly congested between the two cities during both rush hours by 2015. And it adds that, by 2030, without any intervention by government, the entire M62 route between Liverpool and Leeds will be congested. Radical ideas including the use of "dynamic lanes" - ones which can switch between carriageways depending on traffic flow pressure - and traffic management, which can include opening up hard shoulders or restricting speed limits. But its action plan also clearly states that road pricing should be developed for the motorway. Last night, Stephen Pearse, from Liverpool's Chamber of Commerce, said: "Introducing road pricing on to the M62 in isolation would not achieve the goal of creating a more reliable, free-flowing motorway. "It would lead to congestion on surrounding roads, but would not tackle the problems on the M62. "Other measures, such as setting a 50mph speed limit at busy times, should be considered first. My experience is that, when a lower speed limit is introduced, the road flows better because people are not stopping and starting. "Road user charging only works when people have a viable alternative in public transport. For the companies using the M62, rail alternatives aren't often an option because the routes needed involve going through Manchester, which is already a pinch point for rail services." A spokesman for the North West Regional Assembly said: "The North West Regional Assembly supports imaginative ways of using existing capacity more effectively. "There is clearly an argument which could be made for congestion charging on the national motorway network but the NWRA would strongly oppose the M62 or any other North West motorways being used to trial this technology which would risk putting the economy of the region at a competitive disadvantage. "The Assembly believes there should be a regional debate about the future of transport in our region so that all views can be considered and that no particular of interests should be adopted at the expense of all others." A spokesman for the Northern Way last night confirmed they were investigating the possibility of road charging. Vince Taylor, director of implementation, said: "The next stage of this work is ongoing and it involves developing the specification of potential measures including their impact on journey times and reliability, estimated costs and time scales." What do you think? Email us with your views at letters@ dailypost.co.uk. | 
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