YORKSHIRE'S motorways could be upgraded to four and even five lanes to solve congestion problems - but motorists may eventually have to pay tolls to use them.

Road-widening and charging were among a £700 million package of measures recommended today by consultants to tackle growing congestion on the M1, M62, M18 and A1(M).

The consortium, commissioned by the Government to carry out a study of motorways and trunk roads in West and South Yorkshire, urged a series of changes:

- Widening of the M1 to five lanes between Junction 31 and 32 on the outskirts of Sheffield and four lanes on other sections between Junction 30, near Chesterfield, and 42, on the outskirts of Leeds, with five lanes on significant uphill gradients.

- Widening of the M62 to four lanes in both directions between Junctions 25 and 32, between Brighouse and Castleford, and of the A1 to three-lane motorway from its junction with the M62 near to Pontefract through to its junction with the A614 near Retford.

- Detailed examination of improvements to the public transport network, including improvements to existing rail services and new light and conventional rail routes linking key centres.

It also said there should be road user charging to manage future growth in traffic and avoid the need for further widening.

Public transport should be developed using revenues generated by road user charging.

However, the consultants - led by MVA Limited - said they recognised that road user charging would be subject to the Government deciding that such a policy would be justified.

"The Government has made clear that no decision on the role of charging in reducing congestion on the inter-urban network has been taken," they said.

"Given the practical issues that would need to be addressed, it does not believe that a system of road user charging for cars could be introduced this decade."

The report reveals that most drivers during peak hours on the motorways are heading for workplaces on the edge of the region's major towns and cities, with less than ten per cent going to city centre locations.

It said commuters would face unacceptably complex journeys requiring several interchanges if they attempted to use public transport instead.

The consultants recommended a review of controls on future developments alongside motorways and trunk routes to prevent large volumes of traffic being concentrated around junctions.

The consultant's recommendations will now be made widely available for consideration by the public and local and regional organisations such as Yorkshire Forward, Confederation of British Industry, Freight Transport Association, environmental organisations, along with local authorities and the Passenger Transport Authorities.

Updated: 11:38 Thursday, September 19, 2002