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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Roads petition breaks a million | Roads petition breaks a million |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| More than one million people have signed an online petition against plans to introduce road charging in the UK. | More than one million people have signed an online petition against plans to introduce road charging in the UK. |
| The petition, which is the most popular on the Downing Street website, calls for the scrapping of "planned vehicle tracking and road pricing policy". | The petition, which is the most popular on the Downing Street website, calls for the scrapping of "planned vehicle tracking and road pricing policy". |
| But No 10 has insisted that doing nothing would lead to a 25% increase in congestion "in less than a decade". | But No 10 has insisted that doing nothing would lead to a 25% increase in congestion "in less than a decade". |
| The petition was posted by Peter Roberts, from Telford, Shropshire, who said it was an "unfair tax". | The petition was posted by Peter Roberts, from Telford, Shropshire, who said it was an "unfair tax". |
| Mr Roberts - whose petition broke through the million signature-barrier by 1045 GMT on Saturday - believes charging is unfair on poor people and those who live apart from their families. | Mr Roberts - whose petition broke through the million signature-barrier by 1045 GMT on Saturday - believes charging is unfair on poor people and those who live apart from their families. |
| The next-most popular transport petition on the Downing Street website has little more than 5,000 signatures. | |
| The petitioner has been a member of the Association of British Drivers (ABD) since 2001. | The petitioner has been a member of the Association of British Drivers (ABD) since 2001. |
| The ABD has called for a referendum on the issue "as soon as possible", but it has insisted Mr Roberts acted as an individual and not on behalf of the organisation. | The ABD has called for a referendum on the issue "as soon as possible", but it has insisted Mr Roberts acted as an individual and not on behalf of the organisation. |
| Plans to introduce a nationwide "pay-as-you-drive" system were unveiled by former Transport Secretary Alistair Darling in 2005. | Plans to introduce a nationwide "pay-as-you-drive" system were unveiled by former Transport Secretary Alistair Darling in 2005. |
| Mr Darling's successor, Douglas Alexander, has since suggested that road pricing could be brought in within a decade. | Mr Darling's successor, Douglas Alexander, has since suggested that road pricing could be brought in within a decade. |