Cambridge congestion plan hits a dead end after the city partnership decides not to take it further.
By Mariam Issimdar and Hannah BrownPlans for a £5 congestion charge for Cambridge will not go ahead following a meeting of decision makers.However, board members said something still needed to be done to reduce congestion and improve public transport in the city.
Labour's Elisa Meschini called on those who claimed there were other options to "up their game" and show them.Thousands of people responded to the public consultation on the proposals with 58% opposing the charge, but with 70% saying they supported the proposed expanded bus network.a £5 charge would have raised around £26m a year and helped to pay for an expansion of the bus network, as well as improvements to cycling and walking routes.
But at the beginning of the month, the Labour group on the council voted to withdraw support for the proposals, saying it was worried about the "impact on low-income families".Revised proposals put forward by the GCP included reducing the congestion charge to peak times only, offering discounts for small businesses, and 50 free days.
The night before Thursday's GCP board meeting, a statement was released signed by some regional Liberal Democrats - including the leader of Cambridgeshire County Council and the party's parliamentary candidates - stating that charging was "not the way" to reduce congestion.
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