Blair emails 1.8 million people to defend road tax

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) Prime Minister Tony Blair defended proposals for a national road-pricing system today, writing an email to almost 1.8 million petitioners who oppose the plans to say it would not be a ''stealth tax''.

Blair said no final decision had been made on the proposals, which would track motorists by satellite and charge them for every mile they drive to cut down on pollution and traffic.

But he vowed the government would not rush into a new system and any changes would be fair and protect the public's privacy.

Some of the 1,792,624 signatories of an experimental ''e-petition'', hosted on the 10 Downing Street Web site, say the government's real aim is to raise more tax that might not be used to improve transport.

''This is not about imposing 'stealth taxes' or introducing 'Big Brother' surveillance,'' Blair wrote in a response emailed to all of those who signed.

The petition was submitted by Peter Roberts of a lobby group called the Association of British Drivers and called on Blair to abandon road pricing and instead ''concentrate on improving our roads to reduce congestion''.

It described the government's plans as sinister and wrong.

Initial estimates suggest a tracking scheme, with prices depending on location and the time of day, could cost drivers up to 1.34 pounds ( LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) Prime Minister Tony Blair defended proposals for a national road-pricing system today, writing an email to almost 1.8 million petitioners who oppose the plans to say it would not be a ''stealth tax''.

Blair said no final decision had been made on the proposals, which would track motorists by satellite and charge them for every mile they drive to cut down on pollution and traffic.

But he vowed the government would not rush into a new system and any changes would be fair and protect the public's privacy.

Some of the 1,792,624 signatories of an experimental ''e-petition'', hosted on the 10 Downing Street Web site, say the government's real aim is to raise more tax that might not be used to improve transport.

''This is not about imposing 'stealth taxes' or introducing 'Big Brother' surveillance,'' Blair wrote in a response emailed to all of those who signed.

The petition was submitted by Peter Roberts of a lobby group called the Association of British Drivers and called on Blair to abandon road pricing and instead ''concentrate on improving our roads to reduce congestion''.

It described the government's plans as sinister and wrong.

Initial estimates suggest a tracking scheme, with prices depending on location and the time of day, could cost drivers up to 1.34 pounds ($2.61) a mile in the busiest areas at rush hour.

Drivers in London already pay 8 pounds a day to enter the city centre, a radical congestion charge introduced in 2003 against strong opposition but which has cut traffic.

In his detailed email response, Blair said tackling congestion was essential -- there are 28 million cars on the roads, up 6 million since 1997 -- and more money for public transport and tackling traffic bottlenecks would not be enough.

Motoring group RAC Foundation says company car drivers waste up to 11 days a year in traffic. Blair said congestion was expected to increase by 25 percent by 2015, costing 22 billion pounds in wasted time in England alone by 2025.

Pilot schemes in some local areas would go ahead to see how the system would work and to hone technology, Blair said, taking a softer stance than previous government statements.

''This is a challenge that all political leaders have to face up to, and not just in the UK,'' the email said.

''Before we take any decisions about a national pricing scheme, we know that we have to have a system that works.'' The petition's creator said the email was a step forward.

''Congestion is a problem but there are plenty of alternatives to road pricing and we need to try these first,'' Roberts told BBC TV.

He also said he was not convinced about Blair's promise that the scheme would not create an invasive surveillance system.

In December a government-sponsored report on transport led by former British Airways chief Rod Eddington said charging motorists to use roads was the only viable option.

Reuters PDM KP1723 .61) a mile in the busiest areas at rush hour.

Drivers in London already pay 8 pounds a day to enter the city centre, a radical congestion charge introduced in 2003 against strong opposition but which has cut traffic.

In his detailed email response, Blair said tackling congestion was essential -- there are 28 million cars on the roads, up 6 million since 1997 -- and more money for public transport and tackling traffic bottlenecks would not be enough.

Motoring group RAC Foundation says company car drivers waste up to 11 days a year in traffic. Blair said congestion was expected to increase by 25 percent by 2015, costing 22 billion pounds in wasted time in England alone by 2025.

Pilot schemes in some local areas would go ahead to see how the system would work and to hone technology, Blair said, taking a softer stance than previous government statements.

''This is a challenge that all political leaders have to face up to, and not just in the UK,'' the email said.

''Before we take any decisions about a national pricing scheme, we know that we have to have a system that works.'' The petition's creator said the email was a step forward.

''Congestion is a problem but there are plenty of alternatives to road pricing and we need to try these first,'' Roberts told BBC TV.

He also said he was not convinced about Blair's promise that the scheme would not create an invasive surveillance system.

In December a government-sponsored report on transport led by former British Airways chief Rod Eddington said charging motorists to use roads was the only viable option.

Reuters PDM KP1723