THE panel overseeing Greater Manchester's controversial plan for congestion charging is under fire.
The Federation of Small Businesses is angry that the 15-strong panel mainly comprises representatives from publicly funded bodies.
The composition of the panel was agreed privately between the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
It also includes representatives of Manchester Business School, City Centre Manchester Board, Marketing Manchester, Manchester Enterprises, Pro Manchester, MIDAS, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, North West CBI, Stockport Economic Alliance, Wigan Economic Partnership, Trafford MBC and the GMPTE.
The M.E.N. has already revealed that two of the country's leading champions of congestion charging - David Begg, former chairman of the Commission for Integrated Transport and an adviser to Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority and Stephen Glaister, professor of transport and infrastructure at Imperial College, London - are on the panel.
We also revealed that Peel Holdings, the company behind the Trafford Centre, was excluded from the panel as it was being set up at the beginning of the year.
Peter Nears, strategic planning director at Peel, was nominated by Trafford council, but was rejected for having too strong a `direct interest'.
Now the FSB, which represents 20,000 businesses employing about 200,000 people in the north west, says its own nomination, Stockport businessman David Fernandez, was also rejected.
Its north west policy chairman Mike Pearson has written to AGMA leader Lord Peter Smith pointing out that the group needs a truly independent organisation to offset the `unequal' representation from the public sector.
He said it would make sense for a representative from the Federation of Small Businesses to be included on the panel.
He explained: "One of the criteria for any congestion charging scheme put forward for funding from the Transport Investment Fund is that it has the support of the business sector - consulting the FSB's vast regional membership would ensure this criteria had been met to a far greater independent degree."
What do you think of the congestion charge? Have your say.
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'Don't gag us on charges'
May 22, 2007
Showing comments 1 to 22 and replies | View All
ace, manchester (22/05/2007 at 11:11)
Ms D, Manchester (22/05/2007 at 11:19)
Chris, Irlam (22/05/2007 at 11:32)
The only fair way to ascertain whether there is support for a Toll Tax is to hold a full referendum where every single one of the 2.6 million residents of Greater Manchester has a vote to the question of whether Greater Manchester should have a Toll Tax.
The problem is, the councils & GMPTE know very well what the answer will be....hence the reason why public opinion is being ignored!
ace, manchester (22/05/2007 at 12:40)
Peter Roberts, Telford (22/05/2007 at 12:46)
"Peter Nears, strategic planning director at Peel, was nominated by Trafford council, but was rejected for having too strong a `direct interest'"
when David Begg, who is on the panel and a senior advisor is a director of First Group who run the buses in Manchester.
This is as corrupt as it gets. Maybe it is time to take to the streets?
transit, manchester england (22/05/2007 at 13:52)
PW, Manchester (22/05/2007 at 13:56)
Ms D, Manchester (22/05/2007 at 14:06)
Snare Drum, Ashton-under-Lyne (22/05/2007 at 14:07)
ace, manchester (22/05/2007 at 14:17)
The Local Transport Bill, presented in the Commons today, will allow councils to introduce `pay as you drive' plans to speed up traffic.
This dosnt sound like local democracy, does it? The jobs been done and dusted by the very people you all voted for? (LABOUR)
Simon B, Warrington (22/05/2007 at 14:38)
they are still trying to force Road Pricing on us.
Snare Drum, Ashton-under-Lyne (22/05/2007 at 14:43)
Chris, Irlam (22/05/2007 at 14:46)
REFERENDUM.
Ms D, Manchester (22/05/2007 at 14:51)
Snare Drum, Ashton-under-Lyne (22/05/2007 at 15:21)
Simon B, Warrington (22/05/2007 at 15:25)
It is nothing to do with congestion or pollution.
it is about two things only
Money
Power
combine Road pricing with ID cards and we will have a police state.
Angry of New Moston, New Moston (22/05/2007 at 16:16)
Simon B, Warrington (22/05/2007 at 16:32)
1 Fuel Duty
2 VAT 17.5% on Fuel
3 VAT 17.5% on the Fuel Duty
on the Fuel
4 Annual Road Tax
5 MOT Test Fees
6 VAT 17.5% on Insurance Premiums
7 VAT 17.5% when you buy the car
8 VAT 17.5% on parts and labour
9 Charges for driving licenses
10 Driving test charges
11 Speed camera fines
12 Parking charges and fines
13 London congestion tax
Listen to the ENGLISH people for a change Brown.
enough is enough!
Snare Drum, Ashton-under-Lyne (22/05/2007 at 17:41)
Only twenty years late but by god it's arrived.
Vee haf vays of making you squirm.
Hitler came back as Blair and finished off what he started back in 1939.
To destroy England and cripple its people.
Pay to drive my ****
Simon B, Warrington (23/05/2007 at 09:51)
Note the introduction of the traffic commissioners.
These are unelected people who are placed in councils to ensure what the government wants happens. They have control over the elected representatives and can force road pricing onto a council who do not want it.
The requirement for consultation has been removed.
Be very afraid of this, it means if the GMPTA does come out of Labour Control and reject Road Pricing for Greater Manchester, the traffic commissioner can and would overrule them.
Also no consultation would mean no referendum.
Clauses 64 to 67 - Charging schemes may now include Passenger Transport Authorities acting with one or more local authorities.
Clauses 68 to 69 - Ditto for London.,br> Clause 70 - Schedule 4 Minor changes because of PTAs.
Clause 71 - Adds requirement, when considering whether to introduce a charging scheme, to consider effect on "level of emissions".
Clause 72 - English charging schemes will no longer need approval of Minister (Welsh schemes will continue to need approval of a Welsh minister).
Clause 73 - Removes power of English Minister to require that there is consultation before a charging scheme is introduced. (Welsh power remains.)
Clause 74 - Adds power to vary the amount of the charge according to different ways of "recording, administering, collecting or paying the charge".
Clause 75 - Adds power for the Minister to make regulations as the ways in which charges may be paid.
Clause 76 - Widens the definition of interfering with charge equipment, which is already an offence.
Clause 77 - Adds power for the Minister to regulate the manner in which tolls equipment is used.
Clause 78 - Adds power for the Minister to require information from charging authorities.
Clause 79 - Widens the extent to which information may be legally disclosed by Government departments and local authorities to the charging authorities.
Clause 80 - Power to charge for supplying certain information in Scotland.
Clause 81 - Removes the need for London charging authority to have plans for how any net proceeds from charging schemes are spent.
Clause 82 - Schedule 5 various minor changes.
We need to fight this now, today, or we will lose!
Technobabble, Manchester (23/05/2007 at 22:44)
Of course, they-who-must-be-obeyed don't want us to have a referendum. They graciously allowed one on this issue in Edinburgh, and got their backsides kicked. Can't have the peasants getting delusions of grandeur now, can we??? Heavens, carry on like that and they might think they can choose the next Prime Minister!
Simon B, Warrington (27/05/2007 at 15:49)
We need to turn up in ours thousands in places like St Peter Square and Piccadilly gardens in Manchester.
Use our cars to bring Manchester to grinding halt.
Have go slow protests like the fuel protestors on the motorways.
Have a Boycott Manchester day.
Physical action is all this government will understand.