Motorists should pay to drive on UK roads, according to a report commissioned by the Government.

Sir Rod Eddington, former British Airways chief, reported that road charging could add £28 billion of funding to bus and rail networks.

Utilising existing networks and expanding the UK cycle network received strong backing. High-speed rail links proved less important.

The transport study started in 2005 as part of an effort to examine the long-term impact of transport decisions on the UK economy.

The study concludes that the benefits of charging motorists for using the roads will outweigh the cost of the scheme.

“Road charges will put some people off driving entirely, cut congestion and carbon emissions and could raise up to £16bn a year in payments,” Sir Rod says.

The Transport 2000 lobby group said that, for road pricing to work, alternatives to driving must be improved.

Shadow transport secretary Chris Grayling said a national road pricing scheme for every road was not ‘realistically achievable in the near future’.