Drivers have been urged to vote against an upcoming congestion charge ruling across Edinburgh, which would slap thousands with a daily fee.
The Scottish Conservatives have launched a new campaign calling for Edinburgh City Council to scrap plans to introduce a congestion charge across the Scottish capital.
It warned that the proposed charge would push the cost of living up even higher, punishing drivers in the process.
Miles Briggs MSP for Lothian expressed his concern over the proposed charges last week, which have now prompted a petition by the Conservatives.
He said: “Councillors in Edinburgh have voted to develop a framework for a congestion charge in the capital that could see residents in East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian having to pay more than £4,000 a year to drive into the city.
“The First Minister says that he is interested in the cost of living, so does he agree that it is unfair for my constituents to pay to drive to work, visit family or go to the hospital?”
The MSP suggested that it should be decided by a referendum of those impacted, as it had been in 2005, which was voted down by 74 per cent of residents.
In response, the First Minister said: “There is a dilemma at the heart of the question that Miles Briggs raises.
The Scottish Conservatives have launched a campaign calling for the council to scrap plans to introduce a daily fee
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PA/GETTY“On a regular basis, members of Parliament press the Government to enable local authorities to take more comprehensive decisions about their localities.
“Over time, Mr Briggs has argued for me to enable local authorities to have more scope to do things, but he is now asking me to intervene to stop that happening.”
Writing for Midlothian Review, Mr Briggs highlighted how commuters spend more than 100 hours in traffic jams, and would be put off by the huge 260 per cent jump in price of London’s Congestion Charge.
He explained that when adjusted for inflation, the proposed daily charge in Edinburgh from 2005 was roughly £3.90.
Edinburgh City Council revealed that road charging would help tackle air pollution | GETTYWhen assuming a working year of 250 days, the congestion charge could cost drivers nearly £1,000 in the first year.
The Taxpayers‘ Alliance, the Alliance of British Driver several councillors in Lothian, and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce have all expressed concerns with the plans.
Mr Briggs questioned: “So far, no one has been able to explain to me why Labour supports a charge in one city but opposes it in another when the two councils are proposed to collaborate on the framework for this tax.
“Congestion charges are the SNP’s next cash grab. After nearly two decades of failure on transport, they now want to charge you just to drive in your own city.
The congestion charge was originally proposed in 2005, but was overwhelmingly rejected
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PA“It’s a tax on workers. A tax on small businesses. A tax on families. Instead of fixing crumbling roads and unreliable public transport, they want motorists to pay more. The Scottish Conservatives will oppose congestion charges across Scotland.”
If introduced, Edinburgh would become the third UK city to operate a daily scheme after London’s Congestion Charge and a temporary one in Oxford.
The Conservative MSP added that small businesses already face “huge strain” from parking costs, the Low Emission Zone and tourist tax.
He also criticised the SNP-led Scottish Government, claiming it has failed to address key infrastructure problems, such as long-running issues on the Edinburgh bypass.
