‘Tories aiming to privatise roads’

OLDHAM’S motorways and trunk roads would be privatised within a year of a Conservative general election win, a member of the Government’s transport think tank claims.

Roger Jones, who was chairman of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority before losing his Salford council seat in May — in what many believed to be a backlash against the Manchester congestion charge — is now a member of the Commission for Integrated Transport.

He told a seminar at Manchester Airport, sponsored by the Highways Agency: “I know the Tories in Trafford would like to sell off the airport.

“Twelve months after coming into power, a Conservative government would want to solve the roads problem by selling off the Highways Agency.

“I don’t mean they will physically sell the roads, but they will sell off franchises to operate and maintain them.

“It is not as stupid and idea as you might think. I know of several big companies who might well be interested in taking a 10-year-franchise to operate the M60.”

Mr Jones insisted that he had not dreamed up the idea himself but had been told about it by someone from First Group, which has its Manchester headquarters in Oldham.

At the Conservative Party conference in September, shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said her party would divorce the Transport Innovation Fund from congestion charging.