Birmingham is the latest city to propose a ban on private cars driving across its city centre. The proposal is made in a new Birmingham Transport Plan and is designed to reduce pollution.

The suggestion is that through trips in the city would be outlawed and public transport would be the preferred choice for travelling in and out of the city. Many city centre streets would also be pedestrianised and a 20mph speed limit would be the norm.

The move comes after York has already announced a plan to ban private vehicles from driving within its city walls by 2023, while Bristol has plans to ban private diesel vehicles from entering the city from 2021.

The Birmingham plan is only a proposal at this stage and has already been branded as unworkable by critics. However, it does indicate how local authority thinking is developing and the pressure that private diesel and petrol cars may be under in the future.