Vehicles will be able to drive into the city, but would have to go back out to the ring road to access other areas.

In a newly published transport plan the city council is also looking at rerouting the A38 and bringing in a 20mph limit on more residential roads.

It promotes more public transport use, walking and cycling, but opponents say it could gridlock the city.

In 2017, the European Commission gave the city council a final warning to clean up its air by 2020 or face being fined £60m.

What is happening?

The Birmingham Transport Plan lays out a number of changes the council wants to make over the next decade.

Under proposals, no private vehicles would be allowed to travel through the city centre, and could only come in and out from certain areas.

The authority will also look to introduce measures to reduce parking and could also redevelop some of its car parks, while the A38 could be rerouted to an "upgraded ring road" and the city's tunnels used for public transport only.

Public transport would be the "preferred choice" for travelling in and out of the city and city centre streets would be pedestrianised and integrated with public transport.

If it is backed by the council's cabinet on 21 January, a consultation on the plan will begin on 28 January.

However, it has been criticised by Conservative opposition councillors.

Tory councillor Robert Alden, said plans to close the tunnels "will bring the city to a standstill, destroying jobs and pushing more congestion and pollution to the residential areas on the edge of the ring road."

Why is it being done?

The plans are designed to tackle air pollution and a growing population, with the authority saying it wants to improve air quality, health and reduce congestion.

It has already been given a "final warning" to improve its air quality and intends to introduce a clean-air zone this year, but these proposals go further.

Air pollution is widely regarded as a public health crisis in Birmingham that contributes to 900 premature deaths a year in the city.

The measures are designed to reduce impact on the environment as part of the council's commitment to becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2030, eliminate danger on the roads and revitalise the city centre, the authority said.

What does it mean for drivers?

The changes would have a significant impact on motorists who drive across the city centre.

While people could still drive into the city from certain areas, they would have to drive back out using the surrounding ring road, and journeys straight through the city centre would not be allowed.

There could also be restrictions on lorries making daytime deliveries.

"Cars will no longer be king in the city, public transport systems will become king," said Councillor Waseem Zaffar, the cabinet member for transport and environment.

However, some commuters are sceptical. Caz Dillon, from Marston Green said: "There is absolutely no way on earth that we can do that because our public transport system is so atrocious and so unreliable.

"That is why people drive because you just cannot rely on our train service and until they get that sorted they haven't got a hope in hell to try and ban cars."