Public transport bosses in the West Midlands are planning a joint bid, with local councils, for Government money to look at new ways of cutting congestion.

The conurbation is hoping for preliminary ‘pump-priming’ money from the government’s Transport Innovation Fund (TIF).  This new fund is providing up to £18m over the next three years to local authorities prepared to investigate bold schemes – including road pricing – to tackle congestion.

“West Midlands leaders have clearly stated that we want to be at the forefront of the debate to find innovative ways to tackle the growing problem of congestion,” says Cllr Gary Clarke, chairman of the Passenger Transport Authority.  “If there are major new sources of funding on the horizon, let's look at the opportunity to position our region to be among the first to benefit.”

“This first stage would be about investigating options before any decisions are made – but it is clear there is already broad agreement that any solution will need to include ways that, with Government support, we can bring about significant improvements in public transport,” he says.

The West Midlands’ TIF bid is proposing an in-depth feasibility study, to take place between autumn this year and next summer, to fully investigate levels of traffic congestion and examine a range of solutions, including necessary public transport improvements.

The West Midlands has already ruled out the possibility of a London-style ‘cordon’ congestion charge. The funding bid to be submitted to Government next week commits the local councils and Centro-PTA to investigating the role of road user charging, but not to implementing any scheme. 

Congestion in the West Midlands is an urgent problem which currently costs the local economy £2.5bn every year.  Traffic levels are likely to rise by 15 per cent in the decade to 2011 and a recent poll showed drivers rate congestion as a more serious issue than health, education and housing, and second only to crime as something they want tackled.

“Future competitiveness and quality of life in the West Midlands depends on finding effective long term solutions to our congestion problem,” says Wolverhampton Leader Councillor Roger Lawrence, transport lead on behalf of all the Metropolitan Authorities.  “What works today may not be effective tomorrow.  Bidding for this money doesn’t commit us to any scheme. If we are successful it simply gives us the means to assess which options will work for the West Midlands, and which ones won’t.”

Chair of the Metropolitan Authorities, Solihull Leader Ted Richards, adds: “This isn’t just about transport, this is about looking at how best to tackle a congestion problem that threatens our competitiveness and limits the growth of new jobs and housing in the conurbation, the wider region and the UK as a whole.  This is not a commitment to adopt any particular congestion scheme, but it is a recognition that we must look in-depth at congestion – and potential ways of tackling it.”

Substantive TIF funding is due to become available from 2008/09 and is likely to reach £2.5bn nationally by 2014/15.