Congestion charge helps meet real cost of motoring

TRANSform Scotland told an inquiry into the scheme that the charge dovetailed with government policy to make the polluter pay.

Colin Howden, the campaign manager for the sustainable transport group, said: "People have to look at the broader costs they are imposing on others."

He said drivers did not pay the full cost of using their cars and caused additional "social costs", such as pollution, less than half of which were covered by motoring taxes.

Mr Howden said motoring costs, in real terms, had been static for decades while public transport costs had risen sharply.

He said the abolition of the fuel tax escalator had also made public transport increasingly expensive compared to car use.

Mr Howden, one of the few supporters of the scheme to give evidence to the inquiry, said it was time concerted action was taken to tackle congestion in Edinburgh after a decade of discussing charges.

He said: "It is imperative that action is taken to reduce existing traffic levels and head off the threat of increased traffic growth, worsened congestion levels and damaging impacts to the environment and public health."