KEEPING the public and business community fully informed of the benefits of road tolling is a prerequisite for the successful introduction of charge schemes. Speaker after speaker at an Institution of Electrical Engineers seminar on electronic road tolling and congestion pressed the importance of winning the hearts and minds of drivers, even down to the level of branding new bus shelters with road tolling information.

John Cheese, of engineering consultants the Smith Group, told the seminar: 'Road charging will not happen anywhere unless it is broadly accepted. The Government has indicated that for pilot schemes 100% of revenues will be retained locally for the first 10 years.

'It is this deal between politicians and the public - 'you will have to pay to come into the city centre but you will enjoy the benefits of better local transport alternative and reduced congestion' - that is the key to the acceptability of road charging.'