Durham ushers in brave new world of city congestion tolls

By IAN HERBERT

Motoring in Britain changed for ever yesterday with the introduction of the first city centre congestion charge.

The focus of this brave new world was a glorified cul-de-sac - a part-cobbled circular route through the small peninsula which accommodates Durham's 900-year-old Norman cathedral and castle and is screaming out for environmental deliverance from the onslaught of 3000 cars a day.

But the burghers of Durham, who had spent five years dreaming up a £2 ($6.60) congestion charge for the route, had not counted on 75-year-old Andrew McRobbie, his grey Ford Mondeo and indomitable wife Joyce. Several minutes into the big experiment and with interested observers from Edinburgh to Hong Kong looking on, the retired colliery manager became the first motorist asked to fork out and he steadfastly refused.

"I don't think so," said McRobbie, when asked to pay up. "It's ridiculous." His car's disabled badge, evidence of his own artery trouble, counted for nothing, he was told. The disabled, like everyone else, must now catch one of two 50p-a-ride hopper buses to avoid the toll.

Motorists who refused to pay up before 6pm would incur a £30 fine, McRobbie was warned. But any inclination to waver was quickly stamped out of him by his wife. "I'll go to jail before I pay," she insisted. And with that, a police officer told the couple they were causing an obstruction and moved them on.

The development was hard luck on Durham County Council, the custodians of this scheme.

But the drama at the barrier demonstrated that when it comes to congestion charging it doesn't take a £5-a-day city entry charge - Mayor Ken Livingstone's far more audacious plan for London - to ruffle local feathers.

It is a lesson for other British cities considering congestion charges, which were made possible through powers in the Transport Act 2000 as a solution to the ever increasing effects of car use.

If Durham's prototype works, bigger schemes for Edinburgh in 2006 and Bristol in 2007 may follow. Both hope to charge for entry to their entire cities, with charges of £1 and £2 respectively. Manchester and Leeds are also interested.

Durham's example should teach them that exemptions are a point of contention, particularly to delivery vans. The Freight Transport Association's northern policy manager Jonathan James insisted that his members were "essential" to the district and should be exempt.

Other dissenters include the local cabbies - who began a boycott of the peninsula before the introduction of the toll, which wipes out the £1.90 they are currently charging tourists for the short shunt from station to cathedral.

Retailers say it will hit trade. "Customers will not bother coming here," said Mark Soham, a clothes shop proprietor. "They'll just go somewhere with easier access."

Though it will take several days to detect the toll's effects, the council was claiming traffic throughout had been reduced.

- INDEPENDENT