Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to require operators of privately operated tolled crossings that have statutory powers to issue penalty charges to provide access to independent adjudication of those charges.

Most privately-operated tolled undertakings still require payment at tollbooths and so do not rely on the issuing of penalty charges for non-payment to ensure compliance. The Department does not currently have the power to impose a requirement for independent adjudication on the few undertakings that have already converted from tollbooths to remote payment systems. However, it is something that we will be seeking to require as and when further tolled undertakings convert to remote payment operation. The Highways (Financing) Bill includes clauses that would provide a simple legal route for tolled undertakings to convert from tollbooth to free-flow/remote payment operation. This would allow for an independent adjudication process to be required in future conversions.