Road tolling backed by Britain's employers Under the CBI blueprint, private companies would take over responsibility for running major roads. In return for their investment, the private companies would be paid out of the "user charge" and eventually tolls. The employers" organisation intervention comes with the Government reviewing both the future of the Highways Agency and the annual Vehicle Excise Duty paid by motorists. At the same time support for some form of pay as you drive charging appears to be growing at Westminster with both Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat transport minister, and some Tory backbenchers resurrecting the idea in recent weeks, It was unclear last night what form the tolls proposed by the CBI would take, even though a variety of options have been floated in Whitehall in recent years. One idea, considered by the last Government, would have seen the building of so-called "Lexus lanes" - running alongside existing motorways - which would be open to motorists willing to pay to use them. A second option would see tolls charged only on new motorways, with existing ones remaining free of charge. An alternative model, which could be introduced on a stretch of the A14 running from the Midlands to ports in East Anglia, would see motorists being charged tolls for using a widened stretch of an existing road. Radical thinking is needed to increase investment in strategic to tackle congestion which the CBI estimates will cost the British economy £22 billion by 2025. "Every day, people up and down the UK lose time and money because of our clogged-up roads," said John Cridland, the CBI's director general. Whether you're a business waiting for an urgent delivery, or a commuter stuck in the morning rush-hour, gridlock is an all too familiar tale of life in the UK. With public spending checked, the case for new funding solutions is even more compelling, and the Government recognises this. Infrastructure matters to business, and delivering upgrades to our networks is one of the highest priorities for the CBI to get the economy moving again. But the idea was dismissed by an AA spokesman. The idea of road tolling will anger drivers and this has already been rejected by 70 per cent of motorists both in our own Populus poll and the referendum on a road pricing scheme in Manchester a few years ago. Drivers think they are paying more than enough to pay for the roads already, this cash should be spent on easing pinch points motorists already face, rather than demanding more in taxes.