CONSERVATIVE MEP for the West Midlands, Philip Bradbourn, has launched a scathing attack on Government efforts to introduce pay-as-you-drive motoring through the backdoor, accusing the British government of colluding with EU bureaucrats to track every mile we drive.

The £36 million EU project is partly funded by the UK Government and will see drivers having their every move tracked by a ‘spy in the car’ black box.

Vehicles fitted with the system will have their location, speed and direction of travel transmitted to a central system every half a second.

EU officials believe the technology will significantly reduce road accidents, congestion and carbon emissions. It is even suggested vehicles will be able to warn each other if they are on a collision course. But Mr Bradbourn, a leading member of the Transport Committee in the European Parliament, claims the Government’s justification for trialling the technology is spurious and that given time the Department for Transport will link the system with the pay-as-you-drive road tolls being backed by the ministers.

He also warned of the implications for privacy, pointing out that roads in the UK are already subject to the tightest surveillance in the world, and that so-called ‘spy in the car’ surveillance devices are a step too far.

Speaking from Brussels, Mr Bradbourn said: “The UK Government might insist that no decision has been reached on a national road pricing scheme but EU bureaucrats would have us believe otherwise.

"In fact, the £36 million EU project, which is partly funded by the UK Government, unequivocally suggests that our government is colluding with the European Commission to introduce pay-as-you-drive motoring through the backdoor.

“EU and UK officials would have us believe the communication device, which will sit behind the dashboard, will significantly reduce road accidents, congestion and carbon emissions.

"That may be so but the primary reason is to install a system, which given time, the Government will use to link up easily with pay-as-you-drive road tolls being back by the Department for Transport.

“While the DfT claim the system will be introduced on a voluntary basis only, in my opinion, it will eventually become mandatory; technological experts have already admitted the scheme needs wide uptake to work.

“We must do all we can to prevent the Government from introducing ‘spy in the car’ black boxes, otherwise I fear we will all be faced with paying for every mile we drive.

"Clearly, we cannot allow this to happen. The West Midlands Metropolitan Councils have already said no to road pricing schemes, as have all 10 councils in Manchester following a referendum on this very issue.”