Motorists in the UK may soon have to pay to use busy roads as part of plans to reduce CO2 to meet strict emissions targets.

The UK Committee on Climate Change has recommended road pricing as part of a series of measures affecting Britain’s transport sector.

The other measures include offering subsidies to the automobile industry to encourage 1.7 million electric cars onto the roads while also ensuring cars using petrol are made more efficient by keeping to the 70mph speed limit on motorways.

British Ministers first floated the idea of a national road pricing scheme as a “stealth tax” to pay for upgrading roads and improving public transport.

However, the idea resulted in a massive backlash by motorists.