A Clyde Tunnel toll for drivers living outside Glasgow and a congestion charge are among the ideas being considered as politicians look to boost the city council’s income.
Glasgow City Council will set its budget for 2025/26 on Thursday, with council tax set to rise to fund investment in the city, says The Scotsman.
City treasurer Ricky Bell said he believed the local authority must find ways to grow its revenue for future years because “if we sit and do nothing, the council budget will just get smaller and smaller and smaller”.
Consultation is being held on a proposed tourist tax, with a 5 per cent levy on overnight stays in the city under consideration. The move could raise £11 million a year, but is unlikely to be rolled out until 2027.
A political oversight group, set up last year, is now looking at other options to raise funding.
Cllr Bell said: “In the bizarre world that is Glasgow City Council, we are responsible for the Clyde Tunnel even though it’s a national infrastructure. One of the things we are looking at, and we’ve modelled a bit of this, is could we put a toll on the tunnel? A toll that isn’t paid by Glaswegians.
“You can do that with number plate recognition software and if your car is registered at an address in Glasgow, then you don’t get charged. If you are in a suburb where they’ve maybe got a wee bit more money, then you’ll get charged.”
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