Region congestion charge proposed

Rush hour congestion charges are being suggested for the three main cities in the East Midlands.

The £2 charge for Nottingham, Derby and Leicester comes in a report prepared for the county and city councils in these areas.

The fee would apply during morning and evening rush hours starting in 2016.

Steve Calvert from Nottinghamshire County Council said the scheme would mean more investment in public transport in the region.

Number plates

The report said £128m could be raised annually for public transport in the three cities.

The congestion charge would involve monitoring motorists with roadside camera equipment using number plate recognition technology.

The zones would probably be located inside the A38 in Derby, inside Nottingham's ring road and Leicester's outer ring road.

Paul Southby, regional director for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in the East Midlands, said some employers feel additional costs like workplace parking fees or congestion charges can make some cities more expensive to operate in.

The study looked at the Derby, Leicester and Nottingham areas together with other congested areas in Leicestershire and southern Derbyshire.

The councils will apply for £3m in government grants for a further study if they agreed to proceed with the initiative.

An earlier study showed that the average traffic delay in the Derby, Leicester and Nottingham areas was just over two minutes per mile travelled at peak times.

Councils and business leaders will discuss the plans over the next few weeks.