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'Snobs' must pay to drive into city
Jan 4 2007
HIGH-earners with a snobbish dislike of travelling by bus should have their car journeys into Birmingham made "significantly less attractive" with a London-style congestion charge, a new, controversial study has recommended.
A 96-page city council scrutiny report concludes that road pricing is the only viable way to reverse the trend of dwindling bus use and force a step change in travel habits,
by hitting car drivers in the pocket. The study blames wealthy motorists for harbouring entrenched negative attitudes, based on snobbery and "paranoia", that the bus is a focal point for danger. There were also lifestyle issues, with a feeling that bus travel was irrelevant to the middle classes.
The scrutiny report insists that Birmingham City Council is seen by the public as anti-bus and suggests the city should have more public transport priority measures.
The Building Bus Use study, by the transportation scrutiny committee, says the introduction of congestion charging should be accompanied by dramatic improvement in the quality and performance of bus services.
Committee chairman Martin Mullaney admitted the report would be unpopular with some of his council colleagues, but added "we are telling it the way it is".
Coun Mullaney (Lib Dem, Moseley & King's Heath) said: "We must be brave enough to admit that our current position isn't tenable for the future."
He warned the council would have to take "difficult and unpopular" decisions now to avoid a congestion crisis in the next 20 years.
