Should Glasgow have a congestion charge?
Councillors are being asked to launch a feasiblity study
Councillors in Glasgow are set to decide whether to start looking into bringing in a London-style congestion charge in the city centre.
"It would simply add to the pressure for people to shop to online" - Glasgow Chamber of Commerce
Officials want to think about road user charging as part of the introduction of a low emissions zone and today they're being asked to commission a report to be completed within nine months.
The proposals are being supported by health campaigners and environmentalists but Glasgow Chamber of Commerce is warning it could have a damaging affect on businesses.
Stuart Patrick told Clyde News he's concerned it could discourage people from shopping in the city centre: "There is no evidence showing growth in congestion in the city centre, in fact, if anything, it's declining.
"At a time when retail is patently under pressure from online shopping we are vigorously opposed to any proposal to introduce congestion charging.
"On top of the higher charges for on-street parking it would simply add to the pressure for people to shift to online and add to the congestion around the city from all the vans delivering to your front door."
"At the moment our city centres are dominated by the car and that is stagnating trade." - Friends of the Earth
But Emilia Hanna from Friends of the Earth says the evidence shows these schemes work: "In London the congestion charge raised over £120 million in its first year and that was all ploughed back into sustainable transport and creating a virtuous circle.
"We've got illegal levels of air pollution 8 years after a legal deadline, and that is damaging people's health. We can't see air pollution - it's invisible - but it's still having really damaging effects.
"At the moment our city centres are dominated by the car and that is stagnating trade. We've seen that where you take space away from cars and reallocate it to pedestrians and cyclists that can be really beneficial for business.