New Transport Secretary says scheme is 'personal priority'

The government is to spend £10m developing potential schemes for GPS-based national road pricing, new Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander announced last week.

Developing the system is a 'personal priority', the minister said in his first speech since taking over from Alistair Darling following the Cabinet reshuffle.

Speaking in York at the launch of bus company First's Futurebus service, which uses satellite technology to provide passengers with real time information at bus stops, Alexander said his aim is 'to advance the debate about a national system of road pricing in this country - moving the debate from 'why' to 'how' we might make a national system work in practice'.

Growing prosperity iscausing more travel and worsening congestion in major towns and cities and some parts of the strategic road network, he said.