In just over three months time, the people of York will go to the polls to decide who runs the city for the next four years. Ahead of May 3, we will be looking at a various keynote issues, and asking the party leaders where they stand. Today, in the first of a special series, GAVIN AITCHISON looks at congestion charging.

YORK is not fun when you're a motorist. The historic city wasn't made for cars, and we all know how frustrating it can be sitting in queuing traffic, going nowhere fast.

We're not alone. A host of cities around the country face similar problems, as they try to manage an ever-increasing number of people and vehicles.

So what is the answer? London Mayor Ken Livingstone believed it was to make motorists pay to enter the city centre.

His congestion charge was the first of its kind in Britain, and prompted debate in council chambers throughout the land.

York has so far declined to launch such a scheme, but as we approach the City of York Council elections on May 3, what are the parties' current stance on the issue?

Steve Galloway, leader of the ruling Liberal Democrat group, says the party's last manifesto gave an assurance that it would not implement road pricing in York if it gained power.

"I would expect our new manifesto to repeat that assurance, for the next four years, when it is published in March," he said.

"When we took power, one of the first things that we did was to jettison the secret plans that Labour had to introduce congestion charging in the city.

"Our view remains that congestion charging may have a role to play as part of a national system - preferably with an automated accounting system, using GPS technology.

"We believe that the city - and in particular the commercial, tourist and retail sector - would be economically disadvantaged in relation to its competitors (other towns and cities) if we went it alone' with road pricing.

"Rather, we will continue with our successful polices aimed at stimulating the use of public transport, including our nationally acclaimed Park & Ride system, while we will continue to invest in improvements which encourage cycling and walking.

"We are prepared to look at pricing as one way of addressing specific air quality' problems on individual streets, but this would be in the context of discouraging access by high pollution vehicles rather than volume controls. Any such initiative would be subject to public consultation."

Labour group leader Dave Merrett said road pricing needed to be examined - "given that all three main parties nationally are now committed to the idea", and to understand what it would mean for York.

"We also need realistic answers to coping with the continuing growth in traffic," he said.

"This is particularly important given that the city council's traffic engineers have been saying for some time that we are running out of conventional and technical fixes on the traffic congestion problem.

"We need to understand the implications of a national road pricing scheme, but also to look at local congestion charging in comparison to alternative options for tackling York's traffic problems.

"A Labour-controlled council would consult with York residents and businesses on the big choices before making any decisions, unlike the Liberal Democrats who simply pretend they can go on like before and avoid difficult decisions.

"In practice, however, any pricing scheme option would be very unlikely to be implemented during the next council given the Government's national road pricing timetable, even assuming York residents and businesses were to support congestion charging as the best option.

"Past studies have shown that congestion charging arrangements have the potential to largely solve congestion problems, but we need to be sure the social impacts are properly dealt with."

John Galvin, of the Conservatives, who won no seats at the last elections, makes it clear his party is absolutely opposed to road pricing. "Our policy is, very clearly, that we would not support any form of congestion charging in the city of York," he says.

"That is unequivocal - no ifs, no buts. Our position would not change at all."

Andy D'Agorne, of the Green Party, says it would look at all the options, "and would want to carry out research to look at what is most effective in controlling traffic growth, and meeting Local Transport Plan targets."

"With York traffic levels predicted to grow by 14 per cent by 2011, and major developments such as Hungate and Barbican threatening gridlock, the Liberal Democrats' transport plans for the next 5 years are too weak. Road projects that have been built or are planned will quickly fill with the extra traffic."