Tory plans to raise speed limits

More roads do not necessarily mean more cars, Tories say

Speed limits on motorways could be increased under a Tory administration, Iain Duncan Smith has said.

But lower limits could be introduced around schools and homes for the elderly, he said, as his party unveiled new research on congestion and traffic levels.

Mr Duncan Smith blamed the "collapse" of road building in the UK for the increase in traffic congestion.

He made the claims only weeks after the government announced a £7bn road building programme - the biggest expansion of the motorway network for more than a decade.

People want people to travel very slowly near schools and near old people's homes but they want to be able to move faster on motorways Iain Duncan Smith

Environmental campaigners say the government scheme will not solve congestion and will cause health problems, as well as further spoiling the countryside.

But Mr Duncan Smith says the rise in car use only corresponds to an increase in the number of licences issued - and this was down to women learning to drive and finding new freedom, for which they should not be "punished".

Commuters

He said the road building programme had "completely collapsed" over the last five years - and 2001 was the only year on record where "no tarmac was laid at all" by a government.

He said this had caused the rise in commuting times and worsening traffic congestion.

Duncan Smith says no tarmac was laid in 2001

"They always blame the motorists, they say that more roads means more cars - we do not believe that is true at all," he told GMTV.

"We have been looking at this - in Europe it does not work like that, there are many more miles of roads per head of the population, and their traffic congestion is much lower than ours."

Mr Duncan Smith said speed limits were also under Tory consideration.

"People want people to travel very slowly near schools and near old people's homes but they want to be able to move faster on motorways," he said.

Quality roads

The Tory leader's comments came as his party outlined a new policy document entitled Free To Travel at a transport summit in London.

Tim Collins, the Conservatives' shadow transport secretary, said the research "nails the assertion, often expressed, that building more roads simply creates more traffic".

"Over time we need to close the gap which has widened considerably between the amount of high quality roads, trunk roads and motorways, compared with the rest of Europe," he said.

"We are the number two or three country in terms of population in Europe, but in terms of our motorway network we are about number 13."

The government's recent announcement of new road building projects, which include widening most of the M25 from three to four lanes and large parts of the M1, do not go far enough, Mr Collins told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Principle asset

"If you look actually at what the government has done they have simply restored a number of projects they axed in 1997 or 1998.

"It still remains one of the smallest road building programmes in western Europe.

"Even after it is completed, we still have many, many fewer miles of motorway than France, Germany or even smaller countries."

Mr Collins said the government's principle asset was the £62bn road network in this country.

"It has been significantly under-invested over many years. I would not pretend this just started in 1997.

"We have a gap we have to close with the rest of Europe. If we don't, our business will face real competitive difficulties."

A Tory administration would consider road tolls, but only for new roads, he added.