The three authorities made it clear they are considering a legal challenge on the basis that Edinburgh’s proposals ignore Scottish Executive guidelines on fairness and equitability.

At a Press conference in Livingstone today, Councillor Mike Rumney, who chairs Fife’s environment and development committee, said, “It is obvious that the consultation exercise was deeply flawed.

“But more worrying is the list of people City of Edinburgh councillors have chosen to blatantly ignore — their own advisers, Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) and their own council officers, for a start.

“They have given the biggest slap to the people whose views they sought through the consultation and then pointedly ignored, namely the vast majority who told them that the Edinburgh congestion charge wasn’t either wanted or wasn’t fair.”

One of the biggest stumbling blocks is that Edinburgh has chosen to ignore advice from TIE that some neighbouring communities, for example South Queensferry and Balerno, should not be exempt from charging.

And Fife is particularly concerned that its residents will face a double whammy as they will also have to pay bridge tolls.

Continued Councillor Rumney, “Edinburgh, quite simply, hasn’t consulted meaningfully with anyone but selfishly pursued its own agenda.

“The point made by Fife Council and the people of Fife, concerned about having to pay twice to go into Edinburgh, have essentially been ignored at this stage.

“It’s time to take the gloves off. The fact that three councils have come together today shows how Edinburgh is becoming increasingly isolated in its stance.”

And he handed out a warning to Edinburgh that if their proposals went ahead, they could affect plans to upgrade the A8000 from the Forth Road Bridge to the motorway network.

The three authorities are also looking into the possibility of engaging a QC to put their point of view at a public inquiry.