Glasgow pushes forward with plan for Clyde Tunnel tolls for drivers who don't live in city
Glasgow is pushing forward with a controversial plan to charge drivers who don't live in the city to use the Clyde Tunnel.
Council chiefs are frustrated the cash-strapped local authority has to pay for the upkeep of the underwater crossing as it is not classed as being part of the national road network.
The tunnel is not a designated A road which means Transport Scotland has no responsibility for its management.
Councillors have now been told a regulatory check must be carried out before a toll scheme for non-city residents can be introduced - but that's unlikely to be completed before the next Scottish Parliament election in May.
Glasgow is run by a minority SNP administration with support from the Scottish Greens. But there is unhappiness among Nationalists in the city at Holyrood's refusal to help with the rising cost of maintaining the tunnel.
Funding received for the tunnel's operation and maintenance is the same amount per kilometre as for a standard stretch of road, which it has been estimated leads to an annual shortfall of around £820,000.
Councillor Angus Millar told a recent full council meeting: "The council has no specific proposals to introduce any road user charging in Glasgow.
"However, members will be aware that the council has repeatedly stated its interest in further exploring possibilities around a boundary congestion charge and potential tolling at the Clyde Tunnel – both with exemptions for Glasgow residents."
The council's transport convenor added: "Council officers continue to engage with Transport Scotland and COSLA, particularly in relation to national commitments to reduce car vehicle mileage and the potential roll out of road user charging as a travel demand management tool.
"Transport Scotland has expressed interest in Glasgow and Edinburgh taking a lead role in exploring road user charging and we anticipate further discussions with City of Edinburgh Council in establishing their interest."
The SNP councillor continued: 'We welcome the recent commitment from Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government to undertake legislative and regulatory review to establish how the process can be clarified for local authorities to take forward and this is a matter I have engaged with officials and other councils on via COSLA.'
He added: 'We will engage in the coming legislative review to ensure Glasgow is well positioned to consider any developments.'
Councillor Ricky Bell previously told the Record he wanted the Scottish Government "to adopt the tunnel into their national portfolio".
The City Treasurer said: "The Clyde Tunnel is a piece of national infrastructure in every sense, other than how it is paid for. It is maintained by Glasgow's council taxpayers – regardless of whether they can even drive, let alone use the tunnel.
"Despite our efforts to lobby the Scottish Government to adopt the tunnel into their national portfolio, we have been unsuccessful so far. Consequently, we must explore all possible funding options to maintain the services relied upon by hundreds of thousands of Glaswegians and others."
But critics of the idea have branded it a "tunnel tax" and claimed it would be unfair on drivers from across the west of Scotland.
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