In its response the BVRLA said it was vital that plans should be made for the long term and called for new roads to be built to ease congestion in specific areas and to protect and improve the environment of both urban and rural areas blighted by heavy traffic.

On taxation issues Labour has been a constant critic of Government plans to introduce motorway tolls and the potential dropping of such a controversial scheme was welcomed by Norman Donkin, BVRLA secretary general. Donkin said the BVRLA could help with what he called 'the fair and proper implementation of taxation' saying: 'In particular, there are improvements that could be made to the way in which the private use of company cars is taxed as well as the very necessary changes needed to the writing down allowances and the restrictions on tax relief on lease and contract hire rentals for cars costing in excess of £12,000.'

The BVRLA is also pushing for the speedy introduction of plastic 'photocard' driving licences so drivers can be more easily identified, while the current Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency arrangement of recording 'keepership' should be changed to a fully computerised system of recording title to a vehicle.