Drivers could be slapped with an annual £800 cost under new proposals to introduce a congestion charge across Edinburgh, with critics warning the move will hammer families, commuters and small businesses.
Scottish Conservative MSP Miles Briggs has launched a campaign to block the plans by Edinburgh City Council to bring in new road charges, branding them a “cash grab” that would punish motorists across the Lothians.
The proposed scheme would see drivers charged around £3.50 a day to enter Edinburgh city centre, which, for someone commuting five days a week, roughly 250 working days a year, would add up to more than £800 annually.
The charge would apply to anyone driving into the capital, whether for work, school runs, shopping trips, medical appointments or visiting family.
Mr Briggs, who represents the Lothian region at Holyrood, said residents in Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian would be hit hardest.
He warned: “This is a cash grab that will unfairly penalise motorists while doing little to tackle congestion.”
The framework for the road charging scheme was approved in May 2025 by SNP, Green and Labour councillors on Edinburgh’s Transport Committee.
The decision triggered talks with neighbouring councils, including Glasgow, to explore how a wider road user charging system could work.
Scottish Conservative MSP Miles Briggs warned the new charges would disproportionately impact household bills
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PA/GETTYIf introduced, Edinburgh would become the third UK city to operate such a scheme after London’s Congestion Charge and a temporary one in Oxford.
Mr Briggs warned that London’s experience showed the policy does not work, with it being the seventh most congested city in the world and the second worst in Europe.
London motorists are also paying heavily, with congestion estimated to cost them £1,252 each per year in lost time. On top of that, drivers entering the zone pay £18 a day, around £4,500 a year for a typical commuter.
He added: “Despite hefty fees, congestion in London remains a serious problem. We should learn from that failure, not repeat it.”
The charge would see drivers pay around £3.50 a day to enter Edinburgh city centre
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PAEdinburgh ranked 10th most congested in the UK in 2025, with drivers spending an average of 51 hours stuck in traffic over the year, costing each motorist around £702.
Critics argued that adding a new charge on top of existing costs would only pile pressure onto households across the city.
Mr Briggs said: “Small businesses are already under huge strain from higher parking charges, the Low Emissions Zone and the 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.
The Congestion Charge was introduced in London first, with a similar scheme launched in Oxford | PA“With household bills rising and ScotRail services deteriorating, this is the wrong time to hit drivers with yet another bill,” he said.
This is not the first time congestion charging has been proposed in the capital, as in 2005, Edinburgh residents overwhelmingly rejected similar plans in a public referendum.
The Scottish Conservatives detailed how they are the only party consistently opposing the latest proposals.
Mr Briggs concluded: “Families and workers across the Lothians cannot afford another £800 a year. We need practical solutions to congestion – not a tax on going about your daily life.”
