THE M6 Toll has proven to be a "terrible investment" and is losing tens of millions of pounds every year, according to a damning new report published this week.

The toll road, which was first opened in December 2003, has also failed to reduce traffic on the M6, the report says, while toll charges for car owners have more than doubled in the past six years.

The report has been released by the Campaign For Better Transport, which criticised road operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) for failing to provide promised congestion relief for the M6, and faster and more reliable journey times for drivers.

Studies have found that fewer car drivers than ever are using the 27-mile road, which runs from Coleshill to Cannock, and that lorry drivers "overwhelmingly reject" the route.

"Whilst traffic on the M6 has been rising since the M6 Toll opened, the average daily flow on the M6 Toll has been falling sharply since 2006," the report said. "The two busiest periods, 2004 and 2006, both correspond with extensive roadworks on the M6, which substantially increased journey times and made the toll road a more attractive option."

The toll now charges motorists £5 per single journey on weekdays, with drivers of lorries and other large vehicles paying £10.

When the M6 Toll first opened, car drivers were charged £2 per journey on weekdays. Richard George, the Campaign for Better Transport's Roads and Climate Campaigner, said: "The research shows that the toll road has failed to cut congestion on the original M6 and has made big losses for its operator.

"With Government coffers running empty, it is no surprise that politicians are looking at toll roads as a way to deliver funds for new road building projects.

"But our research shows that private toll roads such as the M6 Toll don't help motorists or the surrounding area, and don't make money for investors either. Instead, the Government needs to spend scarce public funds on maintaining the roads we have and giving people good alternatives to car use.

"M6 congestion is now so bad that the Government is considering spending another £500m on it to deal with the problems the toll road was supposed to solve."

MEL's chief executive office Tom Fanning said: "The M6 Toll is a reliable, congestion-free route through the West Midlands.

"The road cost almost £1 billion to plan and build, at no cost to the Government, and our long-term investment approach takes into account these significant up-front costs."