As The Birmingham Post and NEC Group host a prestigious debate at the ICC today on the issue of road pricing, Geoff Inskip, Centro's chief executive, argues that congestion is a problem that has to be solved if the West Midlands is to prosper.

Today, The Post will hold a timely debate on congestion in the West Midlands and consider whether road pricing could provide part of the answer. There is now widespread consensus that congestion is a real problem for us and getting our future transport strategy right is one of the city region's top priorities.

The city region has a bold vision for the future which is underpinned by a plan for growth and a regeneration strategy. Our goal is to continue the major redevelopment of our cities and towns, create more skilled jobs for the people of the region and deliver much needed improvements to the public transport system.

The aim is to create 90,000 new jobs by 2021 and build 250,000 new homes across the region by 2026. But without a new transport strategy that gets to grips with congestion and provides a joined up world-class transport system, we won't realise our ambitions.

The problem has become an obvious one. Surveys have shown us that 73 per cent of local businesses and 80 per cent of residents now believe congestion is a serious issue. The business community estimates that congestion already costs our local economy £2.2 billion a year, and this is a figure that is set to grow. When we published Gridlock or Growth, our recent congestion study, we found that congestion across the area will grow by nearly a quarter (22 per cent) on current levels by 2021, which means more than 50,000 hours of additional travel delay every day and an extra 469,000 car journeys on West Midlands roads every day, compared to 2001. That's not sustainable for our region.

Developing a solution for the West Midlands is a far greater challenge. This is something all seven metropolitan authorities in the West Midlands and the PTA have taken a lead on, backed by funding from the Department for Transport (DFT).

Our approach has been not to take decisions in isolation, but to take this work forward with the input of local people. We're in ongoing dialogue with local business representatives, environmental groups and some of the region's leading attractions about our plans for tackling congestion. There's widespread agreement that a fresh approach which addresses congestion and provides attractive, integrated alternatives to the car is urgently needed.

The publication of the Gridlock of Growth discussion paper last September resulted in an informative debate on the detail that, along with the results of further technical studies is guiding the next stage of our work, which is due to be completed in the summer.

What is clear from this dialogue is that a package of measures is required which has to include significant investment in our transport system, and particularly public transport. A significant shift from the car, to bus, tram or train will only be achieved if there are realistic alternatives. Lifestyle changes including companies encouraging flexible working or schools staggering school times could also make a real difference. However, the evidence suggests that these measures alone may not be enough.

But what about road pricing? First of all, let me stress that no final decisions have been taken yet about whether road pricing is right for the city region - we're working on a range of options, and will want to continue consultation and dialogue with the public and stakeholders later this year on the outcomes of this work.

What we do know from studies so far is that roads pricing appears to make a significant difference to congestion. Modelling carried out for Gridlock or Growth looked at what congestion in the West Midlands could look like in 2021 and the difference between carrying on as we are and introducing road pricing.

The study concluded that lifestyle changes could result in an eight per cent reduction in road vehicle congestion but that adding a form of distanced based charging could result in a 23 per cent reduction (which is similar or better to school holiday driving conditions).

But road pricing comes in different forms. Our technical studies and feedback from local businesses and residents have rejected a 'one-size-fits-all' solution like the London Congestion Charging Zone as not right for the West Midlands. A view that came through from both businesses and local residents is that any scheme that created zones across the region risks creating artificial barriers that could divide communities, and may be unfair if it can't take account of the time of travel and the distance covered.

At the heart of these responses is the view that whilst all the major cities and towns in the city region suffer from congestion, congestion patterns are different in each area, and pose different challenges.

One common theme is that congestion tends to be worst along particular roads into town centres. As a result of this feedback, our current studies are exploring the impact of a system based on distance, time and place and whether this approach could be adapted and flexible enough to fit different needs, in different places and at different times. There is much more work that needs to be done and much of it will now focus on those city approach roads where we see the most concentrated problems.

But above all, I'm aware that public acceptability, the views of local people and organisations, is critical if road pricing is to form part of our future transport strategy. That's why the debate that's running in The Post is so important. Some common messages have emerged from this debate whether from business including the likes of Jerry Blackett, chief executive of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Mike Cherry from the West Midlands Federation of Small Businesses, or from environment groups or transport professionals.

There's agreement that road pricing must be right for the West Midlands, that it must enhance the region's competitiveness and give our businesses a competitive edge, and that we must have upfront investment in transport to provide real choice and viable alternatives to the car. These points are shared by the city region's local authority leaders.

The debate today is the latest opportunity to discuss these issues. What is vital is that together we develop a solution that is right for the city region and delivers all our aspirations.