CONTROVERSIAL plans to introduce road congestion charging received overwhelming backing from members of the public at a key consultation meeting in Manchester.

A vote revealed 70 in favour with just twelve against, at a question and answer forum organised by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority.

The packed-out meeting at Manchester Town Hall was told that the proposals to charge a fee of up to £5 per day to drivers coming in and out of the city at peak travel times, is a key part of a possible bid to the government for a massive £3 billion package of funding to `revolutionise' public transport in Greater Manchester.

And PTA chairman Coun Roger Jones who chaired the meeting, made it clear that in his view "You can't have one without the other."

Leaders of the ten Greater Manchester district councils have until the end of this month to decide on whether to submit the Transport Innovation Fund bid.

Coun Jones told the meeting: "It is a one-off chance to transform public transport across this area, and if we bid, we will be competing with major cities across the country. If we don't bid, it's not the end of the matter. We will still need the same funding, - we will just have to look elsewhere for it."

The package includes a full range of measures aimed at tackling the region's congested roads, and stretched to the limit transport system.

Elements

Key elements are completion of the Metrolink system with trams running out to Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Manchester Airport, and huge improvements in both bus and rail services.

The package also includes an increase in park and ride facilities, and plans to extend yellow school bus schemes to eventually cover every secondary school across the county.

Coun Jones said it was vital that the PTA was given control of the county's bus network, which would happen if the proposed new Transport Bill became law.

He urged members of the public to lobby councillors and MP's to ensure its success.

"If you don't get buses right, you can't solve the problems of public transport" he said. "It is vital that services are extended to reach parts of the region that are currently not reached."

The meeting was told that taking no action on the issue of congestion was not an option. Car use is expected to increase by 25 per cent over the next ten years, causing huge environmental problems and bringing traffic to a standstill.

Former councillor and transport planner Peter Johnson from Bolton, told the meeting: "The argument for taking action on congestion is overwhelming.

"You have an incident anywhere on the M60 circular motorway and within minutes there is gridlock. There is simply no alternative."

But there were still opponents to the idea. Dave Culshaw, representing two Wigan residents groups said: "The congestion charge map looks remarkably similar to a spider's web, and I believe we have been spun a web of deceit."

He claimed: "In my view congestion has been deliberately created in many areas of Greater Manchester by the introduction of traffic management schemes including bus lanes and one-way systems. Get rid of these dotty road schemes and we might get somewhere."

Plans to introduce congestion charging will come under intense public scrutiny on Tuesday, when key players will go head-to-head on TV.

Organised by MEN Media, the Question Time-style debate will take place at Urbis before an audience of business and council leaders and M.E.N. readers, and will be televised by our sister TV station Channel M.