THE introduction of congestion charges in London this week was greeted by howls of protest from motorists and banner-waving demonstrators.

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, however, said it was "absolutely crucial" that the scheme to charge motorists £5 a day to drive into central London worked and reduced the volume of traffic, because the capital was near to gridlock.

Speculation now is that if the London scheme is a success, similar ideas could be tried elsewhere - including in York. It would not be unprecedented. Durham introduced a £2 congestion charge on 1000-year-old Saddler Street in the city centre in October last year. The idea was to cut traffic by half; in fact, in three months, it has reduced the number of cars using the street every day from 2000 to just 200.

So, with York's traffic problems well documented, should we be thinking about introducing congestion charges here?

Sally Hutchinson, 50, chief officer of Age Concern York and mother of four

" I think if it reduces the congestion then, yes. Obviously, we will be watching very carefully what is going to happen in London. There is going to be a difficult time in London whilst the money comes in and they use that to improve the transport infrastructure, but I think Ken Livingstone is on the right lines.

Here we would need to invest in our transport before we started congestion charges, because there are areas that are very poorly served. Some of the villages, places like Elvington - if you leave Elvington at a certain time by public transport you cannot get back for a fortnight. But also in the city. Age Concern has been doing a survey, and there are areas in Acomb and Chapelfields that are not served by buses.

So we do need to be thinking about making the transport infrastructure better first, but then I think people would accept charges more readily.

We would just have to get on with it. Leave the car, and either cycle or walk or take public transport. Like water finding its own level, you would find your way.

There should be concessions for older people and people that are disabled, people who really do not have the ability to use public transport. And we would have to be aware of businesses. We've got shops in the centre. It has to be carefully worked out. We can use London and Durham and the mistakes they may or may not have made to ensure that ours is really good. But if London can do it, surely we can. It could be wonderful, a great benefit to the city"

Kildip James, 34, former recruitment consultant and mother of one

"I think it works for London because it is a serious problem there. And also what's £5 in London, you end up spending that on the tube anyway to get into the centre of London. There are such problems of pollution that something has to be done there.

But in York I think we've got it just right now. You can drive in the centre between 8am to 11am, is it? and then after 4pm, and we've got good bus services. I don't think York has a problem. We do have some traffic jams, but isn't that just one of those things with today's cities?

I think most of us walk anyway. I don't use my car. I live in Bootham, so I'm lucky, but most people I know who live round about do walk because it is quicker, because there is nowhere to park. Walking is so much better, but it should be a matter of choice.

So I don't think congestion charges are necessary, and I don't think they would make that much difference."

Updated: 08:42 Tuesday, February 18, 2003