Other councillors were angry that Cr Foster had given an interview to media proposing that cars be banned in a one-day experiment without consulting them.

Cr Foster was removed as deputy chair of the transport portfolio on Tuesday night in a confidential motion lodged by the lord mayor.

The car-free story was the final straw for other councillors, including the lord mayor, whose exchanges with Foster have sometimes been marked by friction and mutual antipathy.

The plan was quickly condemned by Cr Doyle and Premier Daniel Andrews who said "only people who live very close to the city and perhaps don't drive a car could come up with an idea like that".

Cr Stephen Mayne said while the portfolio reshuffle should not be viewed as punitive, there was "a good deal of disquiet" over the interview and subsequent News Limited article, which he believed misrepresented council's position.

"There was a perception that council was doing something when it was just the views of one councillor distorted by a misleading headline," Cr Mayne said.

His views were echoed by independent councillor Ken Ong, who said he believed councillors should consult with the chair of a portfolio "before going public or putting forward a notice of motion".

Both Cr Doyle and Cr Foster, who remains chair of the city portfolio, declined to comment on Wednesday.

A Melbourne City Council spokesman said "the matter was confidential because it was considered a personnel matter".

The public was barred from listening to councillors debate half of the items on council's Tuesday agenda because of confidentiality.

Cr Doyle's motion, which was supported by all attending councillors except Cr Foster, sees Crikey founder Stephen Mayne replace Richard Foster as deputy chair of the transport portfolio.

Greens councillor Rohan Leppert replaces Cr Mayne as deputy chair of the planning committee, with Cr Ken Ong moving into the finance and government committee and Beverley Pinder-Mortimer into the audit committee

Cr Leppert is the first Greens councillor to be appointed to Melbourne's planning portfolio, where he said he hoped to improve the way council worked with the community to develop major city plans.

This year Cr Leppert began studying a Master of Urban Planning and Environment and has been praised for his performance in his first term on council.

"He has demonstrated in the last three years that he has an incredible brain," Cr Mayne said.

Parking reform, including reducing the city's reliance on parking revenue, is a key ambition of Cr Mayne.