Edinburgh councillors want to levy a charge to cut congestion

Councillor Andrew Burns told the inquiry into the proposed congestion charging scheme that the status quo was not an option.

The inquiry is being conducted by three independent reporters, all experts in town planning and transport issues, and is expected to last 10 weeks.

Cllr Burns pointed to the success of schemes in London and other cities.

The council plans to charge motorists �2 a day to cross one of two cordons into the city.

Cllr Burns, the executive member for transport on Edinburgh City Council, said that the measure was needed in order to tackle traffic growth in the capital.

Pollution and congestion

He said it would be an "absolute abdication of responsibility rightly scorned by future generations" if no action was taken.

He told the inquiry, being held at the Carlton Highland Hotel on North Bridge, that the city faced mounting pressures on its road network over the coming years.

Up to 30,000 new jobs were expected to be located in the city by 2015 and road traffic was forecast to grow by 50% over the next 30 years, he said.

Cllr Burns added that this would increase pollution and congestion in the capital.

He said: "Every single, additional vehicle on our roads leads to more and more junctions reaching capacity, which leads to more and more time being lost to congestion.

"This is bad for the local and regional economy and bad for all those living and working in Edinburgh."