STEPHEN LADYMAN, a former transport minister, has taken a job with a firm producing road pricing technology within six months of standing down from his government job.

He is working as an adviser to Itis Holdings, which has contracts with Transport for London and several local authorities. Itis is chaired by Sir Trevor Chinn, who supported Tony Blair’s private office before he became prime minister. He is a former chairman of the RAC and nonexecutive chairman of Streetcar, the UK’s largest pay-as-you-go car club.

Ladyman’s work for Itis has been accepted by the advisory committee on business appointments, which vets roles taken up by former ministers. Ladyman, who was roads minister, said he would not lobby the government for a year after he stood down as a minister when Gordon Brown became prime minister in June.

However, Ladyman is able to assist Itis in seeking contracts in the EU. “[Itis] are obviously very interested in Europe and I know quite a lot of the transport ministers around Europe and quite a lot about the issues of transport in Europe,” said Ladyman.

Road pricing was first proposed when Alistair Darling, the chancellor, was transport minister in 2005. About 1.8m people have put their signatures to a Downing Street website petition opposing road pricing.

Ruth Kelly, the transport secretary, has said road pricing is “inevitable”.

Times Recommends

• C&G axed - 1,660 jobs to be lost
• UK house prices rise 1.1% as buyers return
• Mixed reaction to US banks repaying bailouts