The Welsh government has asked the general public to give their views on whether motorists should pay to use two of Wales’ busiest roads.
Mark Drakeford’s Labour government is committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and in working towards that goal, it has raised the possibility of introducing tolls on the M4 near Newport and the A470 near Pontypridd.
Though the hypothetical tolls would only be for certain types of vehicle, the idea has been met with an angry response from Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives alike.
But can motorists really expect to pay to use these two busy roads in the future?
Is the Welsh government planning to introduce tolls on the M4?
In a recent survey, the Welsh government polled road users to see what they thought about the idea of road tolls, and how they might affect drivers’ road usage habits.
Commercial HGV and LGV drivers were also surveyed.
In particular, respondents were asked what they thought about tolls on the M4 and A470. Residents in Newport and Pontypridd have been plagued by air pollution.
Those surveyed were asked whether they would pay tolls set at various levels, and whether they would switch to public transport, take alternative routes or simply not travel at all.
Not all vehicles would be tolled under the scenarios sketched out in the survey, which discussed tolls for petrol vehicles registered before 2006 and diesels registered before September 2015.
However, the Cardiff government insists that a “clean air zone” is not on the cards “at this stage”.
What measures have been taken in the past?
Back in 2019, speed cameras were installed along the M4 and some other roads as part of a trial to see what effect a 50mph speed limit would have on air quality.
In March 2021, the 50mph speed limit was made permanent in both directions between junctions 24 and 28 of the M4.
What happened to the M4 relief road?
For many years, a relief road for the M4 was proposed. First put forward in 1991 by the old Welsh Office, the project was not pursued by John Major’s Conservative government.
The proposal re-emerged after devolution, but was pulled again in 2009 as cost estimates spiralled to more than £1 billion.
It was resurrected again in 2013, when the Westminster coalition government offered its Welsh counterpart an £830 million loan to fund the scheme.
However, First Minister Drakeford announced in June 2019 that the M4 relief road project would be scrapped, with costs estimated at £1.4 billion by this point.
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