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Plans for an M4 toll relief road would cripple haulage businesses delivering into Wales and seriously damage the economy, warns the Road Haulage Association (RHA). The Welsh Assembly is currently considering the case for a toll motorway, similar to the M6 toll road in the Midlands, for motorists travelling between London,  Cardiff and Swansea, and says no firm decision will be made until after environmental surveys have been carried out.

Critics such as the Friends of the Earth have already waded into the debate, arguing that widening the M4 would be a cheaper, more efficient alternative. However, RHA regional director Mike Farmer says there will always be environmental objections to new road-building plans. It is in favour of a relief road, but actively opposes putting a toll on it.

"The M4 is the main artery into South Wales and it's not fit for purpose," explains Farmer. "It clags up each and every day. Lorries are already paying £15.90 to go over the river, and then to be hit by a toll would do the Welsh economy no power of good. It would also be more than a normal chap could bear."

Farmer suggests a private company builds the road and then the Government repays it back over a period of time, based on traffic counts on the new road, or "shadow tolling" as it is known. But  he says lessons must be learnt from the M6 toll road, which hauliers have snubbed due to time savings of less than 20 minutes being achieved: "£11 for 17 minutes doesn't stack up economically," he explains.

Pembrokeshire-based Frenni Transport says it would rather see the M4 widened than have another toll road: "We are being held up by a small, but significant amount of time," explains director Matthew Parry. "But with a toll road you are back in the same boat you are either paying for a toll or paying to wait a little bit longer.

"I can see exactly where the environmental groups are coming from, it's crazy having new roads going through the country again." Neil Crumpton, Friends of the Earth's transport campaigner says: "The problem of peak-time congestion on the M4 could be solved by turning its two-lane bottlenecks into three lanes, so the motorway is three lanes for its entire length."

A Welsh Assembly spokesman says that if the Government does decide to press ahead with a new road, there will be a public inquiry, and haulage operators will have an opportunity to comment.