By Drew Sandelands
Copyright glasgowlive
East Renfrewshire Council has unanimously opposed Glasgow’s plans to introduce a congestion charge for vehicles entering the city.
Councillors backed a Conservative motion, which said residents and businesses in East Renfrewshire would be at risk of being unfairly penalised if the charge was rolled out, last night (Wednesday).
Drivers who travel into Glasgow for work, education or hospital appointments could face extra costs under the proposal.
The city council has been considering a number of charging options for road users as part of efforts to reduce car use and increase revenue.
As a result of these plans, Cllr Gordon Wallace, Conservative, brought his motion to a full East Renfrewshire Council meeting.
The council also agreed to call for “renewed urgency” in developing a Clyde Metro, as Cllr Wallace said it was the “proper integrated way to tackle congestion” rather than “piecemeal charging schemes imposed by individual councils”.
Plans for a workplace parking tax have been shelved by Glasgow City Council, which neighbours East Renfrewshire. However, an “at-city-boundary” congestion charge and tolling of the Clyde Tunnel remain possibilities.
Glasgow’s SNP group has said it would seek to exempt Glasgow residents from any charging initiative. Any charge “remains at an exploratory stage and is several years away”, it previously said.
The motion passed by East Renfrewshire Council stated businesses, trades and suppliers “depend on vehicle access and would face higher operating costs” .
It added the area’s infrastructure is “already under strain, with many railway station car parks full, restricted access to existing public transport networks, and known areas where access to parking competes with other pressures such as shopping”.
Cllr Wallace believes a Clyde Metro system offers the “proper vehicle to deliver change in a fair and collaborative way”.
Congestion charge “as a revenue measure in isolation” risks “unfairly penalising East Renfrewshire residents and businesses”, he said, placing “additional strain on a working population and business community already struggling to recruit and retain staff”.
Council officials in East Renfrewshire will now draw up a briefing paper, using available travel data, to set out the likely impacts of a congestion charge on the area.
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