Glasgow congestion charge and why the council has plans for it

Since the Glasgow Times revealed the plan was to be given serious consideration, there has been support for it and opposition to it.

What is the congestion charge?

The congestion charge that will be explored is a scheme where drivers who live outside Glasgow would be charged to cross the city boundary.

People who live in Glasgow would be exempt, meaning only non-residents would face paying the fee.

Rather than toll booths that would cause congestion, it is likely that cameras using registration plate recognition technology would be set up at certain points to capture the details of vehicles and motorists would then pay the charge.

People who live in neighbouring areas like East and West Dunbartonshire, North and South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire, who travel into Glasgow regularly, would be most affected but it would apply to anyone in any of the other 31 local authority areas in Scotland.

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Why is the congestion charge being considered?

Two reasons have been given. One is to reduce congestion on roads and increase the number of people using public transport.

Glasgow already has the Low Emission Zone, which bans older cars with higher emissions from the city centre.

The council has looked at a Workplace Parking Levy scheme, which would have charged £500 a year for a parking space at work in the city.

But it was decided not to pursue this as an option.

Instead, the congestion charge plan will be investigated further.

The other reason, and the council has stated this, is to raise revenue.

The workplace parking tax would have raised an estimated £8m.

During an evaluation, it was stated that to achieve the aims of reducing congestion and raising revenue a congestion charge could be a better option.

So, it can be assumed that it is expected to raise more than £8m a year.

Motorists have regularly criticised the council for targeting drivers with parking charges, parking permits, and bus gate fines and the LEZ.

The difference with a congestion charge is that it would be a charge not on city drivers but those from outside.

One reason is that people from outside the city regularly come in, using the city’s road network but not contributing to the cost as they pay council tax to another local authority.

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Who is in favour of the congestion charge?

Ricky Bell, the City Treasurer, has long advocated for the council having the ability to use new methods of raising cash for services.

In the current budget process, the council faced a budget gap of more than £100million over three years.

This is met either by efficiency savings, or, more commonly, cuts, meaning fewer services and fewer staff to deliver them.

The council has cut services to the bone over the last 10 years and more.

The other method is raising revenue. The council gets around 20% of its income from council tax and a big rise doesn’t benefit Glasgow as much as other areas because the city has fewer properties in the higher bands.

It can also increase existing charges like planning, licensing or parking.

But Bell has argued for additional measures like the tourist tax and specifically a congestion charge for the reason above that Glasgow, being the centre of a big city region, has potentially hundreds of thousands of people from the surrounding areas benefiting from services but not paying for them.

The Greens are in support on environmental grounds. They said it can help move people from cars to public transport and could fund a publicly owned bus service.

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Who is against the congestion charge?

Politically, the Labour Group on the council has spoken out against it.

Rashid Hussain, the group leader, said it would affect workers, services and growth

Another Labour politician, Monica Lennon MSP for Central Scotland also said it would unfairly target people who need to come to Glasgow.

She mentions hospital appointments at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital or people coming to college or university, who have no choice but to travel into Glasgow.

The Chamber of Commerce is also against it.

Stuart Partick the chief executive said that the city needs to improve the public transport before it should consider such a charge.

It is also concerned that city businesses will lose out as people will chose to use other town centres and out of town shopping centres to avoid the charge.

When will the congestion charge happen?

The SNP at the council has said it will be several years before a charge would be in place.

There would need to be further analysis of whether ti is right for the city and then it would have to be decided exactly how it would work.

There would likely be a public consultation.

In Edinburgh, a number of years ago here was even a referendum held on a congestion charge. Which the public rejected.