Road tolls: the plan

But the proposal has been watered down, with a 2 charge at the city by-pass only likely to be made during the rush hour instead of all day.

Exemptions for taxis and city centre residents should also be considered, the city council’s arms length transport firm said today.

But political backing for the idea has still not been secured from Labour councillors, who last night postponed coming to a view amid growing fears about the impact of tolls at the local elections.

Final results of a regional consultation exercise on tolls were published today.

They showed that of people outside Edinburgh just over 40 per cent supported at least one form of charging. That compares with just over 50 per cent in Edinburgh who support one or two cordons.

The recommended two-cordon option would see a city by-pass cordon operating from 7am to 10am and 4pm to 6.30pm.

Meanwhile, the city centre cordon would operate from 7am to 6.30pm. That is half an hour earlier in the evening than had previously been proposed.

It is thought 6.30pm would be a better time to stop charging because that it is when many parking charges ceased to be payable. On exemptions, a significant number of people responding to the consultation questionnaire said certain groups should not have to pay.

However, councillor Andrew Burns suggested a possible 25 per cent discount for some residents. He played down suggestions by council leader Donald Anderson that some residents should get a 90 per cent discount.

Charging motorists only during the rush hour at the city by-pass would significantly cut the amount of cash available for public transport improvements.

It is thought, for example, there might be no extra money to help create a Borders rail link.

Councillor Burns said: “It is clear from the results that there is a ground swell of opinion that recognises doing nothing is not an option.

“However, it is equally clear that in considering the need for improved transportation, people are divided on the question of paying for it and we need to take account of that and all other issues as we move forward.

“Public transport alone will not solve the problems Edinburgh will have over the next ten to 20 years.

“We have debated this issue for ten years. Politicians have been criticised rightly in the past for not taking long term strategic decisions. We are going to take a long-term strategic decision.”

However, he stressed that a long process still had to be followed before any final decision.

Even if the full council approves charging at a meeting in November, there are further hurdles to be crossed in terms of Scottish Executive approval and a possible public inquiry.

The earliest tolls could be introduced would be 2006.

The researchers who carried out the consultation exercise also said that responses to the questionnaire under-represented people who do not own a car. They said that correcting for that showed that support for road tolls among the population as a whole was greater than the unadjusted results, especially within Edinburgh.

However, it has also emerged that responses from businesses and other organisations were less favourable to charging, with only about 35 per cent backing a city centre cordon and only 25 per cent in support of a double cordon.

Tory transport spokesman Alan Jackson branded the plan “a disaster”.

He said: “The ruling Labour group took a severe beating at last week’s by-election in Balerno where they dropped like a stone from second to forth place, receiving only eight per cent of the votes.

“We fought a campaign on having no road polls and secured the support of the residents. It is patently obvious that Labour councillors are trying to reduce their unpopularity by suggesting amendments to their new road user tax.

“However, Edinburgh people will not be easily fooled.

“The report out today still means that Edinburgh residents will have to pay for new public transport provision by a new tax – unlike English cities such as Manchester and Sheffield where they have had their new systems paid for directly by central government.

“The Labour group should come out of the chloroform and tell their masters in the Scottish Parliament that we deserve the same treatment as English cities – no new taxes just give us the money from taxes we already pay.”

The city council carried out the consultation exercise in June and July, giving people across the city and south-east Scotland a range of options on tolls.

The three choices were a 2 daily charge using a city centre cordon only, a 2 charge with city centre and city bypass cordons (although motorists would not have to pay to cross both cordons), and thirdly, no road tolls.

The consultation document told respondents the first option could yield about 900 million for transport improvements over 15 years, the second about 1.5 billion, and the third only 200m because of the constraints on public funding.