Councillors in Cardiff are set to debate a planned congestion charge for the city this week.
The debate could add pressure on the council’s cabinet to scrap any plans underway to bring in a charge of £2 a day to use the city’s roads. You can read more about that here. London currently has a congestion charge, which applies to most vehicles entering central London.
The charge applies between 7am and 6pm Monday to Friday and 12pm to 6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, except between Christmas Day and the New Year's Day bank holiday. The congestion charge in London costs £15 if you pay in advance or on the same day. A slightly higher rate of £17.50 is charged if you pay up to three days after you travel.
Read more: ‘ Bonkers’ late-night council debate starting at 10pm on Cardiff’s congestion charge
Ahead of the debate about bringing in a £2 charge, we asked readers whether they thought it is fair to charge drivers to use busy city roads. Here's what you said.
Some people suggested that if people are going to be charged for using the busiest roads, better public transport needed to be provided. Susan Messenger said: "Really if they are going to do this then they need to be giving people better options to use. I work shifts in Cardiff. I have to drive as the train service doesn't start in my area till 6.30 and I actually start in Cardiff at that time."
Robert Lomas also suggested that a better public transport system needed to be in place, saying: "Speed limit reductions, car parking on the M4, cyclists given priority over motorists, and now they want to charge motorists to enter Cardiff. I think [Mark] Drakeford has got a serious problem with motorists. Before bringing any congestion charges in, he needs to do something about the terrible transport system that people have to endure on a daily basis and the disgusting prices that they are charged for the privilege."
"It should only be considered if all the alternatives are in place and running well, and that is a long way off at the moment," John Putman added.
Other readers argued that road users already pay enough road tax. Julie Coulthard said: "We pay enough as it is to use the roads and what are we paying our car tax for. Maybe if they put better running transport on and run it in order for people like myself in which public transport can't get you into work on time. [If] they did run I would gladly get rid of my car but until then I have to put up with the car and a load of idiots that's on the road who can't do a basic signal."
Monika Apolonia Okrasinska added: "Don't we pay enough? We already pay road tax. Maybe they should consider lower public transport tickets charge."
Some, however, suggested that a charge for using busy roads could ease congestion. Gerwyn Davies wrote: "Yes, otherwise they [busy roads] will end up in gridlock."
One reader also suggested encouraging people to go outside of Cardiff city centre to ease congestion on the busiest roads. Gabriel Strange-Wood said: "They need to invest more outside the centre. Get people to go shopping outside, the park and ride is a joke, so that's not an option.
"Build event venues on the edges of the city, not in the centre. Then, they can set up a place with shops, bars and nightlife with good transport links. This would pull a fair bit of traffic from the centre. Also, move all the multi-storey car parks from right in the centre to the edge of the centre and have more direct routes to these car parks. So the traffic isn't driven into the crap traffic system. And why make Churchill Way one way is driving excess traffic on to an already busy road forcing drivers to go through about 10 sets of traffic lights to go the other direction."
Should there be a charge to use busy city roads? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
