(Image: Getty)
Edinburgh councillors could ask Audit Scotland to investigate the Scottish Government’s decision to cancel a regulatory check helping councils to levy road congestion charges.
Scottish Greens councillor Chas Booth is leading the charge against what he termed a 'U-turn' and a 'massive betrayal' by transport minister Stephen Flynn.
Last month, Mr Flynn told MSPs that the government “does not believe it is appropriate to continue work on the regulatory check of local road user charging powers at present”, citing cost-of-living pressures.
If Councillor Booth’s motion is approved, City of Edinburgh Council leader Jane Meagher will be tasked with writing to the Scottish Government to express the local authority’s disapproval and asking for the decision to be reversed.
She will also write to Audit Scotland and the Climate Change Committee, asking them to investigate whether Mr Flynn's announcement breaches the government’s climate commitments.
Transport minister Stephen Flynn. (Image: Jane Barlow/PA)
“Ministers promised councils the full powers they need to cut car use, then abruptly and unanimously announced they were shelving the work,” Councillor Booth said.
“Edinburgh has a target to cut car use by 30% by 2030. Without these powers we can’t meet it, and we can’t raise the millions we need to invest in public transport and safer streets either.”
“We know from London, Stockholm and cities around the world that road user charging can cut congestion and deliver cleaner air,” the councillor added.
“The money raised must be reinvested into better buses, safer routes for walking and cycling and other alternatives to the private car, all of which contribute to a Just Transition."
Plans to charge road users within the capital have previously been rejected by voters.
In 2005, Edinburgh residents were asked if the council should implement a £2 daily congestion charge in the city.
Seventy-four per cent of voters opposed the levy on a turnout of 62 per cent, compared to 26 per cent who supported it.
However, plans for a road charge were considered as recently as 2024, when then-transport convener Scott Arthur said the council was considering the possibility of a “pay-as-you-drive” tax model.
Councillor Booth went on to say: “The Scottish Government’s own research says Scotland can’t meet its climate targets without measures to reduce demand for transport, and Audit Scotland agrees.
“If the revenue is invested to benefit the people who rely most on public transport, it can make the city fairer as well as greener.”
Scottish Green councillor Chas Booth. (Image: Scottish Greens)
“My motion calls on ministers to restart [the regulatory check] immediately," he remarked.
“It also asks Audit Scotland and the Climate Change Committee to confirm whether this decision breaks the government’s own climate commitments.
“This announcement is yet another example of the Scottish Government's centralising tendencies, made just as ministers are asking councils and the public to trust them on the future of local government.
“It must be reversed without delay.”
However, it does not appear that Mr Flynn is prepared to change his mind.
Read more:
- Flynn criticised over 'massively damaging U-turn' on Edinburgh congestion charge
- Edinburgh Council in government talks over 'pay-as-you-drive' plans to cut traffic
- SNP pledges to charge commuters to enter Edinburgh-wide congestion zone
“The Scottish Government remains committed to meeting Scotland's carbon budget targets and achieving net zero emissions by 2045.” Mr Flynn told MSPs in a written answer addressing a parliamentary question.
He added: “We will continue to support sustainable travel and reduce transport emissions, contributing to delivery of the Climate Change Plan while helping to realise the economic opportunities of the transition to net zero.”
Scotland’s Climate Change Plan 2026-2040 “sets out an evidence-based pathway” for reducing emissions and working towards a “green and prosperous future”.
The plan cites the government's removal of peak rail fares and implementation of a £2 bus fare cap as important progress towards “putting more money in the pockets of those choosing these low carbon forms of travel”.