CONGESTION charges are not being considered for Canterbury within the next 10 years. The city council has said it is not one of the 36 councils around the country considering introducing the controversial charge, which started in London this week.

Since Monday motorists have been charged £5 daily to drive into the capital in the hope it will alleviate gridlock.

While the city council is looking closely at what can be done to alleviate Canterbury's longstanding congestion problems, its plans include improvements to public transport rather than charges attached to vehicles entering the city centre.

A spokesman said: "The city council is currently preparing its draft transport action plan, Unlocking the Gridlock, which will go out to public consultation during the spring.

"The draft plan concentrates on actions to reduce the impact of traffic pinch points and to provide people with alternative forms of transport to the car, such as better public transport. There are no plans to introduce charging in the foreseeable future."

Many councils with similar problems to Canterbury are watching the scheme in London carefully. Cities including Nottingham, Birmingham, Reading and Bury are already proposing charges of their own.