With all the excitement surrounding congestion charging it seems the silly season really has arrived early.

Let’s be clear. Congestion charging is not going to happen in this city tomorrow, next year or, in reality probably for many years ahead, if ever.

It was merely mentioned during the council core strategy debate (on Thursday, December 10) as an example of one of the many measures which the city could consider during the next 15 to 20 years as part of its long-term transport strategy.

The idea was neither debated nor voted on. Other suggestions included a city-wide rapid transport system, traffic speed reduction, a comprehensive cycle network and a host of other sustainable transport measures. All of which could make a real difference to getting across the city.

Our concern is that the current Conservative administration does not have a transport strategy. Two and a half years into a four-year term, they are running out of time fast.

The only idea they seem to have is to build between three and five park-and -ride sites across the city. Where will they go? They will not say. Nor will they tell us how they will link them to the city centre.

This city has been chasing the holy grail of park-and-ride for decades without finding one site that can be agreed upon – never mind five. The imminent arrival of the South Downs National Park will make that search all the more difficult. What hope is there of this policy being implemented? I think very little.

Surely with the city facing acute air pollution, congested streets and a struggling economy, people have a right to demand a vision for the future from this council. A truly sustainable vision with a deliverable transport strategy at its heart. Not just a few fantasy car parks on the South Downs? Alas, such vision is sorely lacking from this Conservative administration.

Even if they did manage to build these extra car parks there are serious questions over whether they will do anything at all to reduce car use. The council’s own figures tell us that two thirds of car journeys start and end in the city. These journeys will not be reduced by park-and-ride.

What we need to do in this city is have a real debate about where we are going and how we are going to get there. We know that there are too many cars in our city, too much pollution and that the city’s economy too often stagnates on our all too congested streets. We need to look at what else we can do to get more people out of their cars on to public transport or walking and cycling. We will all benefit if we can succeed in doing that.

Ian Davey Green Party Councillor for St Peter’s and North Laine Ward Green spokesman on transport