LIVERPOOL has taken the first steps towards introducing congestion charges for motorists to combat air pollution in the city centre, the Daily Post can reveal.
Although a charging scheme would take several years to implement, consultants have already worked out that it would cost £40m to instal sophisticated closed-circuit cameras at all gateways to the city centre.
A transport plan to be discussed by Liverpool City Council's executive board on Friday says there is no current political or public appetite for a London-style congestion charge in Liverpool.
But the measure may be forced on the city because air pollution levels already exceed recommended levels, and traffic heading into the heart of the city is growing rapidly.
Unless emission levels caused by vehicle exhaust fumes can be dramatically reduced, the Merseyside Traffic Management Plan will be forced to declare the city centre a low emission zone.
That would empower traffic managers to impose a range of measures, from all-out congestion charges to forcing buses, HGVs and high-pollution vehicles to pay or stay away.
Last night, Liverpool's regeneration executive member, Cllr Peter Millea, said: "The Government is making funding available to look at schemes such as congestion charging, but at the moment I do not think it would help the city's economy.
"We do not have a problem with road congestion. That could change in the future, but I believe we need to look carefully at all measures, including cleaner buses. I would only support congestion charging if there was no alternative, though it could be that the national government will introduce it by stealth."
The new county-wide traffic plan, which spans the years to 2011, calls for imaginative ideas and a multi-million pound shopping list to make transport more accessible, particularly during Liverpool's Capital of Culture Year.
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