The city's director of transport, Richard Rawlinson, believes the levy is necessary to force motorists off the roads in the already-congested city centre.

The radical move would mean a motorist driving through the city centre five times weekly would face charges of £30 - or more than £1,500 annually.

Under previously-announced toll plans, the council proposed to erect 14 gates around the centre and levy a £1 charge for each journey.

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Should motorists pay to enter Bristol? I think the city council has deliberately caused the congestion in the city, now it is asking the motorist to pay more for its own ineptitude Paul, Bristol

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But a government select committee report calls the move a political 'softener', and says the higher, £6 charge, is necessary.

Mr Rawlinson said: "I think everybody recognises that it is a £5 or £6 charge that you need in terms of driver behaviour to try and get that sort of magnitude of reduction.

"In Bristol it was decided to go for a £1 to £2 charge in the early years leading to a £4 or £5 charge in later years simply because of political acceptability.

"I think there is some concern that to come in immediately with a £5 charge - although it would meet the traffic reduction targets and remove the through traffic - would give some concern."

Central area

AA spokeswoman Alison Birkett said: "It would be political dynamite to go ahead with a £5 or £6 road charge for Bristol.

"By outpricing motorists, there would be no one coming into the city, therefore no revenue from the scheme and therefore no improvement in public transport."

Authorities in the UK are waiting to see the impact of a daily £5 charge to enter central London.

A study found a third of shoppers would not enter the central area of the capital if they were forced to pay the levy.