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Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson has confirmed he is looking into introducing a congestion charge for the city, saying it would be “irresponsible” to rule it out as an option.
It emerged yesterday that the mayor has set up a study to examine the impact of introducing a charge for motorists to enter part of the city centre.
The RAC said the charge would have a negative impact on motorists and the city’s economic livelihood, with a spokesman telling the BBC that the city – with its public transport difficulties – could not be compared to London, where the charge has been successful.
But the mayor has cited Bristol’s chronic traffic congestion problem as a reason to examine the charge.
Last month, figures released by sat-nav firm TomTom showed Bristol now faces the slowest moving traffic in England at peak times.
The city came ahead of London, with its congestion charge, in an international study of the slowest moving traffic.
Journeys in Bristol by car are 32% longer than they should be with free-flowing traffic, according to the study, making it the congestion capital of England.
In a statement, Mr Ferguson sought to reassure worried motorists that there was no “secret plan” to introduce a congestion charge, but confirmed he had asked council officers to look seriously at the possibility.
“Everybody in the city knows that traffic is a big problem. There are more cars squeezed onto our roads and streets than they were ever built for. All I have said is that in a city that has been judged to be one of the most congested in the UK it would be irresponsible to rule out any particular measure at this stage,” he said.
“I have asked council officers look at a range of options to present to me. That is what a good city leader should do – look at choices with an open mind. There is no announcement either for or against congestion charging, and certainly no secret plan; it is just one option among many.
“What I am working on – and this is already in the public domain – is residents parking zones, 20mph zones, Bristol Rapid Transit and Bristol Metro Rail plans, and reducing fares on the city’s buses. All these measures need to be considered as part of an integrated transport plan.”
