A vision of how future drivers might have to pay to use the roads was outlined by the British government today.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling published a study today which said a nationwide road pricing scheme would be feasible within 10 to 15 years.
A toll system was presented as an opportunity for scrapping or reducing existing road taxes.
Road pricing could be based on time, distance and place and could cut congestion by a half, potentially saving £12 billion sterling a year.
The study put forward a number of charging scenarios, with motorists paying as little as 1.5 pence a kilometre, or as much as 83.5 pence a kilometre (about 134 pence a mile).
While acknowledging the time had come to "seriously consider" road pricing, a review of the Government's 10-year transport plan also said that a nationwide system would be "a massive and complex task".
It would cost a lot - possibly £2 billion to £3 billion a year - to run, it would need a sufficient level of public support and much more would need to be known about local road usage and road users.
Mr Darling said "a lot more work" needed to be done on road pricing and it would be necessary for ministers to "take the public with them".
He promised that the Government would not pile one tax on another but that it was vital to tackle congestion.
Mr Darling said ducking the road pricing issue would be irresponsible - a view echoed by Prime Minister Tony Blair, who said the government "could not simply build its way out of trouble".
Mr Blair added: "The key is how, not how much, motorists pay for road use. We will do the work necessary to allow the hard decisions to be taken nearer the time."
PA