TOTAL road traffic will rocket by 22% and congestion on trunk roads increase by one-third unless the Government sticks to its toll plans. Mike Goodwin, of the charging and local transport division of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, said increasing traffic justified the Government's backing of road user charging and workplace parking charges.

About 35 local authorities have shown an interest in parking charges, including Manchester, West Midlands, Nottingham, Milton Keynes, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Leicestershire and Reading.

Road-user charging is set to be introduced by London, Bristol, Leeds, Durham and Derbyshire.