I MUST compliment David Llewellyn for his letter (HAS, Mar 13) about the proposed congestion charges that Newcastle City Council are considering.

I work in Newcastle and commute by car each day. As I need to be at work before 7am each day, public transport isn’t an option.

I work near St James’ Park, so it is a relatively straight run and at that time I’m not stuck in traffic and even on the occasions I am, my car has stop/start it turns off the engine when I am stationary.

Newcastle City Council needs to look closer to home when considering the issue, at the ever-increasing numbers of taxis parked around the railway station and Grainger Market with their engines running.

They cause far more pollution in areas of heavy pedestrian traffic than commuters ever will. Durham has a similar problem.

John Watson, Durham