By Andrew Quinn
A Clyde Tunnel toll for non-Glasgow residents would be “devastating” for people living near the city, West of Scotland MPs have said. Martin McCluskey, Alison Taylor, Johanna Baxter, Douglas McAllister and Blair McDougall have said the proposal would be a “tax on jobs”. The Labour MPs – who represent Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire – have written to Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken asking her to dump the plans . They wrote: “This proposal would have a devastating impact on the tens of thousands of residents outside of Glasgow who rely on this route for their daily commute into and through the city. “Implementing a toll would essentially amount to a tax on jobs, disproportionately affecting individuals who work in Glasgow but reside in surrounding areas. ” This would not only be a financial burden on commuters but also have a huge impact on retailers within Glasgow, who would likely see a decline in customer numbers and sales. “We strongly believe that this plan should be immediately abandoned. The Clyde Tunnel is avital transportation artery, and charging a toll would be a regressive measure that would harm the local economy and penalize those who rely on this route for their daily lives. “Residents in our constituencies, use the Clyde Tunnel to access employment opportunities, services, and amenities in Glasgow. “Introducing a toll would create a significant barrier to access, particularly for those who are already struggling financially.” It emerged earlier this week that Glasgow is pushing forward with the controversial plan to charge drivers who don’t live in the city to use the tunnel. Council chiefs are frustrated the cash-strapped local authority has to pay for the upkeep of the underwater crossing as it is not classed as being part of the national road network. The tunnel is not a designated A road which means Transport Scotland has no responsibility for its management. Councillors have now been told a regulatory check must be carried out before a toll scheme for non-city residents can be introduced – but that’s unlikely to be completed before the next Scottish Parliament election in May. Glasgow is run by a minority SNP administration with support from the Scottish Greens. But there is unhappiness among Nationalists in the city at Holyrood’s refusal to help with the rising cost of maintaining the tunnel. Funding received for the tunnel’s operation and maintenance is the same amount per kilometre as for a standard stretch of road, which it has been estimated leads to an annual shortfall of around 拢820,000. Aitken said: 鈥淎s you might have hoped the members would be aware, the city council currently has no specific proposal to introduce a toll on the Clyde Tunnel 鈥 and, perhaps more importantly, lacks the legal powers to do so. 鈥淗owever, their letter does raise significant issues about how we pay for critical national infrastructure 鈥 the cost of which in this case falls entirely and, frankly, unfairly on the citizens of Glasgow. 鈥淎s a first step, this group of MPs can lobby their own council leaders at Cosla to push for fair funding for services and assets that are used overwhelmingly by their constituents – but paid for by the people of Glasgow. 鈥淎nd, if they are serious about supporting jobs and economic growth across the region, they should also speak up about their own government鈥檚 refusal to give Scottish city regions the kind of devolution deal being handed to our counterparts in England. 鈥淭hat investment is what communities across Glasgow city region need to be able to resolve these issues and other local priorities.鈥 To sign up to the Daily R ecord Politics newsletter, click here