“The nub of the argument, whether we are talking about cars, or buses, or tennis rackets, is this: people make better decisions when they know what things cost. Right now the true cost of using the roads is hidden, leading people to drive more and in different ways than they would if they were better informed.

Even a modest road-pricing scheme would be a start: traffic jams wouldn’t be entirely a thing of the past, but they would be a lot less common. And the more comprehensive the plan, the greater the payoff: shorter travel times. Lower fuel costs. Fewer accidents. Less noise and pollution. Higher productivity. Road pricing would make us richer, healthier, saner. If London, Stockholm and other cities can do it, why can’t we? Why, other than because it would be new, and because we would be paying for something we were used to getting for free.

Only it isn’t free now. It’s hideously expensive. There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch, and as any commuter can tell you, there sure ain’t no such thing as a free road.”