The neighbouring authority is to explore boundary and Clyde tunnel charges – which have been called a “levy on the people of Lanarkshire”.
(Image: Tony Nicoletti/Daily Record)
Lanarkshire politicians have hit out at proposals from neighbouring Glasgow city council to explore congestion charging for non-residents driving into the city.
Rutherglen MP Michael Shanks says his constituents would be “hardest hit” and called the idea “unfair”, while Central Scotland colleague Monica Lennon criticised the “wrongheaded proposals” and called the plans an “ill-considered levy on the people of Lanarkshire”.
A report for the neighbouring local authority’s transport committee this week ended unpopular plans to introduce a fee for workplace parking spaces – but councillors instead noted plans to investigate the introduction of a city-boundary congestion charge plus a toll for use of the Clyde Tunnel.
Download the Lanarkshire Live app today
The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.
Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.
The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.
Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire – iOS – Android
Mr Shanks joined Labour colleagues in Glasgow in stating his opposition to the introduction of a congestion charge for non-city residents, affecting those driving in from neighbouring areas including both North and South Lanarkshire.
He said: “This proposal is unfair. The SNP would be imposing a tax on people who are visiting friends and family, going to see their football team play, travelling to work or hospital, or contributing to the local economy.
“We need to take action to clean the air in our cities, but the council should be doing so by investing in reliable and affordable public transport instead of penalising working people; we’re paying the price for the SNP’s failure to regulate the bus system, which has too often seen profit prioritised over passengers.”
READ MORE: 119 jobs lost as Uddingston traffic management firm goes into administrationREAD MORE: Neighbourhood Watch awards for Rutherglen volunteers
Ms Lennon, whose Scottish Parliament region includes the Hamilton, Uddingston and East Kilbride constituencies as well as all of those in North Lanarkshire, has written to Glasgow city council leader Susan Aitken asking her “to halt unfair plans to introduce a tax on drivers visiting Glasgow”.
She called the congestion charge for non-residents “concerning” and wrote: “If these plans go ahead, residents in South Lanarkshire and my constituents in the wider Central Scotland region could be forced to pay to visit Glasgow for work, family, or social reasons, including healthcare and education.
“These wrongheaded proposals will hit workers, families, friends and visitors from across Scotland. People coming to Glasgow for employment, education, culture, parks and attractions, health facilities and to spend money in local businesses should be warmly welcomed.”
Ms Lennon added: “It’s especially unfair to impose an extra charge on people attending hospital appointments” – and went on to note her support for sustainable travel but said: “While our communities are under-served by public transport, it is wrong to penalise them for the lack of choice available.
“Communities recently resisted the loss of the 65 bus service between Cambuslang and Glasgow, and the reintroduction of the X1 service between Hamilton and the city centre is another example of successful grassroots campaigning. I fully supported these campaigns and the ongoing mission of Get Glasgow Moving.
“Hitting drivers with another tax without doing the upfront work to improve access to public transport is a dereliction of duty. I urge you to put the brakes on this ill-considered levy on the people of Lanarkshire.”
READ MORE: Public meeting on Hamilton fire station appliance plansREAD MORE: Hamilton bus passengers benefit from extended service
Councillors on Glasgow’s transport committee noted a paper at their meeting last week deciding not to take forward any workplace parking charge scheme, which said: “It is clear that there is limited commercial and public appetite” and outlined responses including concerns including the impact for the health, education and retail sectors, shift workers, public transport, plus “explicit opposition” from Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.
It instead states: “It is considered that alternative options such as initiatives utilising local road user charging powers may prove more impactful in achieving the aims [of encouraging transport modal shift and generating revenue to support sustainable transport].
“The 2022-27 strategic plan commits the council to explore an at-city-boundary congestion charge, while the 2025-26 budget reiterates this commitment and further commits to the investigation of tolling of the Clyde Tunnel. Officers will now direct resources to exploration of alternative potential initiatives utilising local road user charging powers.”
READ MORE: Crossbasket Castle fundraiser for Smile Children’s CharityREAD MORE: Blantyre Leisure Centre closes for four weeks of refurbishments
Glasgow transport convener Angus Millar told a recent city council meeting that only non-residents would pay any such charges introduced, saying: “The council has repeatedly stated its interest in exploring possibilities around a boundary congestion charge and potential tolling at the Clyde Tunnel – both with exemptions for Glasgow residents.”
A spokeswoman for Glasgow city council told Lanarkshire Live: “Having fully explored workplace parking licensing, we have no plans to take this forward at this time. We remain committed however to exploring opportunities to tackle congestion and raise revenues that could be invested in improving Glasgow’s roads network and public transport infrastructure.
“While it is clear that the exploration of any congestion charging scheme would likely take several years and would require detailed feasibility work to be progressed, the council will engage closely with the required national regulatory review as part of our ongoing work in this area.”
*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.