Congestion charge for out of town vehicles just too simple an idea - Fiona Duff

You know how it is very annoying when you try to sort something out to find that someone else who works with you is making a contradictory decision?

Surely the best way to cut down traffic in Edinburgh is to bring in a congestion charge for any vehicle not registered at an address in the city? Says Fiona Duff (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

You wonder why it isn’t possible to sit around a table and just work out what the problem is together; I think it is called collaboration. It certainly doesn’t muddy the waters for everyone who is trying to work out what is best.

Now that in itself might sound a bit confusing but imagine what it is like for my husband. He has a diesel car – it is about nine years old but it is incredibly fuel efficient. If you don’t believe me then go ask the DVLA as he pays no road tax based on their calculations.

Needless to say there is a certain amount of gloating when I have to cough up £200 annually for my slightly less efficient petrol car.

Now, before you all start berating us for having two cars it does make our lives a lot easier – he has to drive about a lot for work and I needed mine for ferrying children and visiting aged relatives. Now that those are no longer a priority in my life when my car hits the dust I probably won’t replace it.

Anyway, enough of the digression and back to what I was this column is about.

So when it comes to parking permits whoever issues them at the City of Edinburgh Council is on the same page as DVLA. My husband pays the lowest band in order to park within half a mile of our gaff.

However, their counterpart over at the office in charge of implementing the LEZ zone this summer has other ideas. His car is too old under their rules so he can’t drive into the centre of town. In their eyes he is lumped in with gas guzzling articulated lorries and the like.

I don’t suppose it is possible to get the various council departments together to discuss this. Indeed, would they want to confront these decisions that don’t make sense?

Surely the best way to cut down traffic in Edinburgh is to bring in a congestion charge for any vehicle not registered at an address in the city. Is that too simple an idea for our elected representatives?

Sadly the answer is probably yes.