Jams on M6 toll - but not on the M6

It took just one month to prove its fallibility.

The tortoise beat the hare yesterday when drivers on the M6 toll road were moving slower than those on the traditionally gridlocked M6 it was designed to relieve.

The operators of Britain's only toll motorway had to apologise as morning rush-hour traffic on the 27-mile route moved at a snail's pace.

The £900m M6 toll was billed as the fast-flowing alternative to the M6 when opened by Transport Secretary Alastair Darling in December.

But, yesterday morning, the old M6 route around Birmingham was moving more freely. The problems began about 8.30am, prompting police to illuminate signs warning of the snarl-up on routes leading to the M6 toll.

Midland Expressway Ltd, which operates the toll motorway encouraged drivers who felt "severely inconvenienced" to write to its customer services department.

The Association of British Drivers called for motorists to be given their money back yesterday. One driver caught up in traffic said: "There's a massive queue of red tail lights going back for a long way.

"People have paid to use the road and I should think they'll want a refund. You don't want to sit in a traffic jam if you've paid good money."

Russell Eden, from the Association of British Drivers said: "If Midland Expressway Ltd is advertising the M6 Toll as a traffic jam-free driving experience, then people should be given their money back."

MEL blamed the congestion on roadworks to cure unevenness in the surface, and apologised to motorist caught up in the congestion.