I WAS very interested in one of the subjects Sir Trevor McDonald highlighted on one of his programmes last week - road charges.

I think we all know that something has to be done about the congestion on our highways, but what?

I used to reckon three hours and a quarter to drive from home to London during quiet times and about half an hour extra at the peak of the traffic. The last time I tried this journey it took me four and a half hours on the way down and just short of five on my return.

On both occasions I travelled during the middle of the day.

Moreover, other than in the dead of night our motorways always seem to be busy whenever you try and negotiate them.

Our local roads are no better. Eight years ago I could be assured of arriving in my office in central Wakefield within twenty minutes of leaving home. Now I have to set aside more than double that time to be certain of reaching Wakefield Westgate Station in time to catch the train. It is a similar story when driving into Huddersfield.

And it's not just the main roads, all our country lanes are being used by people to try and avoid other traffic.

This in turn creates problems for farmers who are frustrated in their journeys from field to field and subject to abuse by busy motorists who consider their tractors are holding them up.

It also leads to potential danger when heavy goods vehicles begin to use these back roads, which are neither wide enough nor strong enough to take them, causing cars to stop and pull into the side to let them through. All of this leads to frustration on the part of every motorist - some of which boils over into road rage.

I suppose this problem has crept up on us in such a way that we have just compensated for it by beginning our journeys earlier to be certain of arriving on time.

During the eight years I worked in London I was very fortunate to live within walking distance of my office but many poor souls who worked with me were not.

Those who could afford it would use pubic transport, those who couldn't - this was before the congestion charge - had to drive.

One colleague who lived in Surrey, 35 miles from the office, told me that in 1985 he left home at 07.30 to arrive in the office for 9am, but ten years later he needed an extra 40 minutes to complete the same journey.

I don't believe things are quite that bad in the north although our son Charles says it can take him up to an hour and a half to get from his home in Dewsbury to his office in the centre of Leeds. With the annual increase in the number of cars on our roads this situation will just worsen year by year, slow the system further - and create an enormous amount of strain on drivers.

Efficient, cheap public transport would resolve the problem for many of us but it is unlikely to be achieved in our grandchildren's life time - if ever - as successive governments have been unwilling to invest the necessary capital.

Handing the trains and buses to private contractors will never be the answer because all they are interested in is making a profit for their shareholders.

Many individuals have already made millions of pounds out of buying and selling these franchises.

So the politicians look at other ways in which they can address this issue and surprise, surprise they decide to penalise the poor old motorist once again.

Charging for entering cities; charging for sections of motorway and now, charging for each mile we travel.

We already pay more tax on our fuel than almost any other European country and business users are taxed again for the private benefit they gain from using their vehicle.

On top of this we all pay an annual vehicle excise licence and the fines we receive from the speed cameras.

Owning a car in France for example is far less expensive than it is here. For a start, fuel is 30% cheaper and there is no annual vehicle excise licence to pay. Insurance, which is fully comprehensive for any driver anywhere in Europe is 20% cheaper.

Yes there are toll fees on the major roads but these can be avoided by using the old system of A roads, most of which are largely congestion free, or public transport which is plentiful and less than half the price you would pay here.

Why can they get it so right and we so wrong?

I would suggest we all resist these latest moves to penalise us. A national transport programme cannot be created by individuals it must be the responsibility of politicians. They cannot and must not be allowed to get away with abrogating that by penalising the motorist.