Introducing a national congestion charge could cut traffic by 20 per cent, a report claims.
The Independent Transport Commission (ITC) is predicting traffic will increase by ten per cent in the next seven years, and says only congestion charging can stop major roads becoming gridlocked.
The proposals will foster the debate started last week by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling, who said congestion charging could be introduced across Britain at peak hours, to reduce peak-hour traffic problems.
A national congestion charge scheme could be operated by satellites, which would detect the roads each car travelled on, Mr Darling said.
The ITC report points to the results of the London congestion charge scheme, where traffic in central London has fallen 40 per cent since the £5 charge was introduced in February.
As with the London congestion charge, the money raised by a national scheme should be used to fund improvements in public transport, the report says.
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