The Retail Motor Industry Federation has told the Government that the ‘logistical implications of enacting a national road pricing scheme need to be fully considered before any action is taken’.

Alec Murray non-executive chairman of the RMIF, discussed Government's plans for cutting road congestion at a meeting between with the Department for Transport (DfT) yesterday.

Sue Robinson director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) and Ray Holloway, director of the RMI Independent Member Associations met with the Road Pricing Policy Division at the DfT to discuss the impact of a road charging scheme on the retail motor sector.

It has been suggested that vehicles could be tracked and then charged for their motoring. Drivers would be charged more for using popular routes at busy times. However no decision has yet been made, and a national scheme is unlikely to be implemented before 2015.

In the short term, a number of different schemes may be implemented by local authorities interested in congestion control. There are 12 registered so far.

Murray said: “Road pricing may seem like a good idea in theory, but if it were to be rolled out, how would vehicles be tracked? Would motor retailers and repairers be fitting aftermarket vehicle tracking equipment onto existing vehicles? Would manufacturers begin to include tracking devices in new vehicles? Who pays for fitting and maintenance?

“There is a potential role for the MoT testing network, but the industry needs more information than it has at present.”