Blair dismisses 1.8m road-pricing protests by email
Tony Blair last night defiantly ignored the protests of nearly 1.8million Britons against national road pricing.
In an email to every person who had signed an online petition on the Downing Street website, the Prime Minister tried to appease the strong public opposition to pay-as-you-drive plans.
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But he dismissed their concerns that road pricing was about 'Big Brother surveillance'.
He said something had to be done to reduce congestion in the future, calling it a 'key priority for any Government', but ruled out widening or building new motorways because of the cost.
'That is why I believe that at least we need to explore the contribution road pricing can make to tackling congestion,' said Mr Blair in his email sent out at 1am today. 'It would not be in anyone's interests, especially those of motorists, to slam the door shut on road pricing without exploring it further.'
The Prime Minister added no decision had been made on national road pricing, but said that local trials will go ahead.
The eventual form of any national road pricing scheme and the technology used would be guided by the experience gained in the trials.
He said: 'We are, for now, working with some local authorities that are interested in establishing local schemes to help address local congestion problems.
'Pricing is not being forced on any area, but any schemes would teach us more about how road pricing would work and inform decision on a national scheme.
'And funds raised from these local schemes will be used to improve transport in those areas.'
Opposition to the plan to track cars by satellite or roadside beacon, charging drivers up to £1.50 a mile at peak-time and billing them to their homes, has been so great that the Number 10 website crashed yesterday - the final day of the petition.
But an astonishing total of 1,792,168 people had still managed to sign the petition when it closed at midnight.
Mr Blair's response will be sent out to every person who signed it in batches during the next few days.
The petition had said: 'The idea of tracking every vehicle at all times is sinister and wrong. Road pricing is already here with the high level of taxation on fuel.'
It added: 'Please Mr Blair - forget about road pricing and concentrate on improving our roads to reduce congestion.'
Nigel Humphries, spokesman for the Association of British Drivers, said: 'We are delighted with the response to this. I think the final total would have been higher if the petition had gone on longer.
'The number of objectors represents quite a big tip of an even bigger iceberg.'
His arguments were conformed by a BBC poll yesterday which showed that 74 per cent of drivers were against road pricing.
Just 23 per cent were in favour.
Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander is understood to be mortified by the scale of the opposition.
Last night he said a debate on national road pricing was a manifesto commitment but no national scheme could begin until after 'at least two General Elections'.
So rocked are ministers by the reaction that Mr Alexander yesterday cancelled at the last minute - and after weeks of intense planning - the launch of a new 'Climate Change Campaign' in London's Horseguards Parade.
The centrepiece of the campaign is a Government website that blacklists environmentally-unfriendly cars and advises motorists how to cut carbon emissions.
But the fact the launch was cancelled is a sign of growing panic in ministerial ranks.