TONY Blair insisted yesterday that pay-as-you-drive road pricing must be considered to tackle congestion, as he sent an e-mail response to the 1.8 million people who signed an online petition against the scheme.
The Prime Minister said it was too early to give details of any plans, but he admitted concerns over Big Brother-style surveillance had to be addressed.
His counterattack came as Tavish Scott, the transport minister, cancelled constituency busine
ss so he could respond to a Conservative debate on the issue at Holyrood today.
Scots Tories launched their own online petition against road pricing yesterday, with Annabel Goldie, their leader, describing it as "a regressive tax which would hit households and families on the lowest incomes hardest".
Mr Blair's e-mail said: "It would not be in anyone's interests, especially those of motorists, to slam the door shut on road pricing without exploring it further.
"There could be a case for moving away from the current system of motoring taxation. This could mean that those who use their car less, or can travel at less congested times, in less congested areas, for example in rural areas, would benefit from lower motoring costs overall."
However, he said the technology involved "would have to give definite guarantees about privacy being protected" to ensure the government did not receive information about vehicle movements.
He said no area of the country would be forced to take part in a pilot scheme, but confirmed that funds raised from them would be used for local transport improvements.
The Prime Minister said that because no decision had been made to move towards a national scheme, "stories about possible costs are simply not credible, since they depend on so many variables yet to be investigated, never mind decided".
In 2005, a government-commissioned study said charges could range from 2p a mile to £1.34 a mile for the most congested roads - drivers currently paid an average 11.6p a mile in taxes.
Duncan McLaren, the chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "It is possible the right system, using the right technology, could deliver the necessary traffic reduction, without infringing on anyone's civil liberties."
But the Federation of Small Businesses said charging could price some firms off the road.
Andy Willox, its Scottish policy convener, said: "Small businesses are big losers in congestion charging schemes because they cannot pick and choose when and where to deliver to clients, or at what time to get their staff to and from a job."
Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said: "We are not surprised that motorists have protested because motorists do not really know what road pricing will involve and the government does not know what it will involve."
The Association of British Drivers said ministers should dump any road-pricing plans, or at least call a referendum.
