MARK DRAKEFORD’s claim that the Welsh Government had no plans to introduce road charging has been shot down in flames by … the Welsh Government.

New legislation introduced by the Welsh Government makes a mockery of reassurances about road charging the First Minister gave in October.

Following the controversy over his administration’s introduction of a default 20mph speed limit across Wales, Mr Drakeford answered questions in the Senedd on October 3.
One of the Conservative frontbench team, Janet Finch-Saunders, asked Mark Drakeford if his government planned to introduce road charging.

The First Minister answered: “The UK Secretary of State holds powers to implement universal road charging and to retain revenues for Transport.

“Welsh Ministers can provide powers to local authorities to implement local schemes. There are no plans to introduce charges for motorists on Welsh Government-managed trunk roads.”

Smelling a rat, Mrs Finch-Saunders pressed the First Minister further.

Mr Drakeford doubled down.

“Let me repeat the answer so that the Member can ensure she is telling people who contact her the truthful position.

“There are no plans—here’s the answer; this is what you need to tell people should they ask you. There are no plans – no plans – to introduce charges for motorists on Welsh Government-managed trunk roads. That should put the rumours to bed.”

This week, the Welsh Government published a bill to address air quality and noise pollution in Wales.
Sections 19-21 of the Bill and one of its schedules refer directly to the introduction of road charging and set out the mechanisms by which it could be imposed.

Among the options available to explain Mark Drakeford’s responses in the Senedd, apart from the obvious one, are that he forgot or didn’t know what was in the legislation (unlikely since Janet Finch-Saunders referred directly to it) or that the Welsh Government seeks powers it has no intention of using (in which case, they should not be in the Bill).

Both are unlikely.

When he appeared before the Senedd’s Climate Change Committee to discuss the Bill, Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters said he was “very attracted by the principle” of using money raised through road charging to improve active travel infrastructure.

However, he said separating the revenue raised from other income would be “problematic for a whole host of other knock-on consequences”.

Of course, Mr Drakeford could simply refer to the absence of current plans. Future plans are another thing altogether.
It’s better to be disingenuous than an outright liar.
To establish the truth, The Herald asked the Welsh Government
how the Bill’s content was compatible with the First Minister’s clear ruling out road charging to the Senedd on October 3.

A Welsh Government spokesperson told us: “The Transport Act 2000 provides Welsh Ministers with powers to introduce trunk road charging schemes on Welsh roads under limited circumstances.

“The provisions at sections 21 and 22, and Schedule 2, of the Bill (as amended at Stage 2), create additional circumstances which would enable Welsh Ministers to introduce schemes to reduce or limit air pollution in the vicinity of a trunk road.

“These powers, if carried by the Senedd, will provide a tool of last resort to tackle persistent air pollution hot spots should this be necessary in the future.”

In the present, Mr Drakeford’s attempt at intellectually dishonest wordplay stands revealed for what it is.