COUNCILLORS are to be asked to put a red light in the way of congestion charging in York.

A motion before City of York Council’s full meeting next week calls for the authority to agree that it will not introduce any measures forcing drivers to pay to take their cars into the centre of the city before next year’s local elections.

Skelton, Rawcliffe and Clifton Without councillor Joe Watt submitted the motion as a council committee considers the results of a recent public consultation exercise on how potential gridlock can be tackled in York. Residents were asked their views on introducing a London-style tax on motorists. Other areas which are being analysed include bringing in a levy on workplace parking.

Coun Watt said the purpose of his motion, which will go before a full meeting of the council next week, was to ensure congestion charges are not pursued in the life of the current administration.

“I feel that, in principle, such charges are not the way forward because they simply penalise motorists,” he said.

“We should be looking at other measures which encourage people out of their cars, particularly given York’s history, and congestion charging would not help the local economy. I believe passionately that we have to reduce congestion, but not through a blunt instrument such as this.

“But I have worded my motion to cover the duration of the current administration because commitments cannot be made beyond next year’s elections.”

But Coun Dave Merrett, chair of the traffic congestion ad-hoc scrutiny committee which will look at the outcome of the consultation, said: “With the current administration only having another 12 months or so to run, this motion makes no sense – none of the parties are looking at the early implementation of this or any other measures.

“We are looking at various options, some of which include charging, but we will have to wait and see what residents, businesses and other consultees have to say.

“We are now waiting for the results of the consultation to be processed and returned.”