Should Birmingham welcome a congestion charge?

Rebecca Delmore, commercial director at Millennium Point, explores how the congestion charge will affect Birmingham, both positively and negatively.

There’s no denying that there’s controversy surrounding the new congestion charge that is set to be introduced in Birmingham city centre by 2020, as daily commuters argue that they will be forced to pay more on public transport.

This will particularly affect those who will be required to travel via coach, as National Express coaches are currently based in the Birmingham Clean Air Zone (CAZ), so prices are expected to increase.

Pressure from the Government has resulted in Birmingham City Council introducing proposed fees for older vehicles that release high levels of toxic emissions. Planned charges for high-polluting vehicles are £8 for cars and £50 for buses and HGVs driving in central Birmingham.

The Birmingham charge is also set to be implemented 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whereas London’s congestion charge is only 7am-6pm, Monday to Friday.

However, from a sustainability perspective, it’s totally understandable that there are calls for clean air zones in the most polluted city centres.

And there’s no surprise when 900 premature deaths have been reported in Birmingham as a result of air pollution and 60% of the 200,000 vehicles that drive through the centre of the city do not meet the required emission standards.

We have always been advocates of public transport, and with Millennium Point based within close walking distance from all three major Birmingham train stations, we’re easily accessible and in a prime location for those visiting and commuting to the city.

We will also be located just round the corner from the High Speed Two (HS2) station when it’s built, and with Birmingham embracing new methods of transport, such as this and the West Midlands Metro, which runs throughout the city centre, travelling into and around the city will be easier than ever before.

If more commuters were encouraged to travel via public transport, this would not only have a significantly positive effect on the environment, but it would improve traffic flow throughout Birmingham city centre, which has caused disruption to many commuters in recent years.

It’s a major sea change for many of us, but one that needs to be faced.

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