A new report released by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) has suggested the UK Government to introduce dynamic road user pricing that considers a driver’s journey.

The pricing also takes into account the time of day, and congestion on the network, besides the financial health of the drivers.

Titled ‘Funding Roads for the Future’, the new study suggests that the existing model based on raising funds through fuel duty, vehicle excise duty, and the heavy goods vehicle (HGV) levy is getting outdated with the advancement of new technology and changing social trends, such as zero-emission vehicles, ride sharing, and increased urbanisation.

ACE said that it is the need of the hour to undertake short-term reforms to the existing road taxation system, pushing it towards the longer-term aim of dynamic road user pricing.

ACE chief executive Dr Nelson Ogunshakin OBE said: “Our report argues that in the years ahead only a reformed funding regime based on dynamic road user pricing will manage traffic flows and deliver the significant investment needed to keep the country moving.

“It’s vital that the government starts these conversations with the public now, as to date there have been suspicions of road user pricing and fears that people will be priced off the road.”

“It’s vital that the government starts these conversations with the public now, as to date there have been suspicions of road user pricing and fears that people will be priced off the road. This doesn’t have to be the case and there is a great opportunity to develop a fairer-for-all road funding system which delivers the first-class road network that this country needs long into the future.”

In its report, the ACE urged the government to introduce a new overall National Roads Strategy, which includes the launch of a local roads fund to merge and ring-fence funding for local roads.

The report further recommends initiating short-term reforms to widen the scope of vehicle excise duty to include zero-emission vehicles. Also, the study points out towards amending the existing HGV road user charges, using it as a pilot for comprehensive launch of dynamic road user-charging across the network.

Furthermore, the report urges the government to set up a local infrastructure tariff that will empower councils to develop a sustainable revenue stream for local road infrastructure investment.