M6 Toll Road branded "an expensive failure"

Please can someone forward this to Westminster Council? A great example that charging people doesn't do anything to help congestion other than fill a few pockets.

Posted: 01/09/2010 at 12:58

had the opportunity to use this for the first time this year, but as we approached I saw the £5 charge so I told my GPS to avoid toll roads and off I went in another direction didn't seem to make much difference to the time taken.

So I figure there will be congestion just before the toll road starts and then again at the other end were everyone joins the motorway, so creating you own bottleneck.

Posted: 01/09/2010 at 14:24

Rip off Briton.  If they had kept the costs reasonable people would have used it. But no they do the same as everyone else Rip the Arse out of it.

Let them go bankrupt then the government can buy it at a sensible price.

Posted: 02/09/2010 at 00:38

Was sat for about 2 hours in heavy congestion on the non-toll road bit, didn't really mind though as I knew I'd got away with being scammed out of £5. What a complete rip off.

Posted: 02/09/2010 at 08:17

I use it regularly and it's brilliant and never busy. 

The things is, that if the M6 was closed there would be no other option and it would get used much more. This is the way they work in France - they don't have a free motorway next to the toll road so there is no option but to use it.

I'm lucky that I can claim it back through work - Now if I had to pay using my own money I would no doubt look at it differently. 

Posted: 02/09/2010 at 10:03

If they didn't try to rip people of for £5 a time then it would get more use, but then again more use would mena more wear and tear so they would have to spend more on maintenance

Posted: 02/09/2010 at 10:40

I don't use it- congestion around Brum doesn't affect bikes as much, even with the panniers fitted. I do travel up the M6 most weekends and have done so for about 15 years. The jam that used to start where the toll road turnoff sits is waiting at the toll road exit, just as long and with the added bonus of toll road traffic screaming onto the logjammed M6 at a rediculous rate of knots ...The whole thing's a waste of time, money and effort imho.

Posted: 02/09/2010 at 14:42

iv used it once or twice to get round a bit of brum but it doesnt miss the bit before the M40 where the traffic is still really heavy....

saying that... when you pay to use the road they dont seem to mind you sitting at 90+mph for the stretch so who knows... if you can afford it, you can go fast

Posted: 05/09/2010 at 02:14

I use it if going up north - it is Great road cuts out all that M42 M5 M6 congestion

it only doesn't worl as English driver would rathger sit in the sh*t rather than pay to drive around it

Posted: 15/09/2010 at 10:23

its good for a blast, unofficial race track

Posted: 13/05/2011 at 17:02

Worst part of the M6 around Birmingham is those bloody awful joints between the road sections. I used to use the toll road when it was first opened, but it cuts very little time and is too expensive for me most of the time.
Now if they removed the speed limit it would be worthwhile..

Posted: 05/10/2011 at 11:24