TOWNS around Greater Manchester could be hit by individual road pricing schemes - on top of the congestion charges planned for the city.
Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Ashton under Lyne, Stockport, Altrincham and Wigan have been earmarked by transport chiefs for `potential future charging schemes'.
A separate scheme could cover roads around Manchester Airport.
The `localised' zones, which would not be seriously considered for at least five to 10 years, would be on top of the charge of up to £5 a day for crossing two charging zones around Manchester.
Roger Jones, chairman of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority, said the `localised' zones would become a reality only if they passed the same `stringent tests' as the proposals for the city.
These include being acceptable to business and the public and not hurting the local economy. Coun Jones said: "As the necessary public transport becomes available, and if congestion grows over the next five to 10 years to such an extent that the economies of some town centres are harmed, new charging areas could be added to provide a comprehensive solution to allow our city region to continue to grow."
Disaster
The plans already face opposition from local government chiefs. Matt Colledge, deputy leader of Tory-run Trafford council, said a charging zone around Altrincham would be a `disaster'.
He said: "I believe that any future charging zone around the centre of Altrincham would be a disaster for the town. Any such proposal would be rigorously opposed."
Rochdale's Alan Taylor said major investment should make it unnecessary to introduce local congestion charges.
Dave Goddard, leader of Liberal Democrat Stockport council, said they were concentrating on whether to support plans for congestion charging in Manchester.
A spokesman for Manchester Airport said: "Traffic congestion is a real issue for airport access, which is partly why we introduced changes to collect arriving passengers last year.
"We are aware this concept may be more widely applied in the future."
A Wigan spokesman said: "Better alternative public transport must be in place before charges are considered here, and charges can only be introduced where congestion exists."
Argument
Nick Peele, from Bolton council, said: "There would have to be a very strong argument for it in Bolton and at the moment there is not."
Dave Hibbert, from Oldham council, said they were still to examine the issue in more detail, while Bury's chief executive Mark Sanders said he endorsed Coun Roger Jones' statement.
* OVER 50 per cent of Chamber of Commerce members have declared themselves in favour of congestion charging - if the scheme is linked to better public transport.
A survey of 650 member businesses found 53 per cent would back road pricing if the roads were clearer and the public transport system was improved and extended.
The poll showed that businesses in the city are heavily reliant on the roads and that they suffer from the effects of congestion, although few would back a road pricing scheme under 'any circumstances'.
Read more about the issue via the links on the right of this page.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
shayla (24/07/2007 at 08:24)
They are already talking about extending it before they have even voted it in.
Look on Manchester Toll Tax Site.
They are voting on changing the rules from to ensure they can force it through.
You have been warned, if this gets in, we will all be paying for a very long time indeed.
STOP IT NOW WHILE YOU CAN !
NO TOLL TAX !
Pete (24/07/2007 at 08:24)
shayla (24/07/2007 at 08:28)
AGMA Voting Rules to be Changed in an Attempt to Impose Congestion Charging?
Manchester's congestion charge plans face a crucial vote on Friday in order to try and keep them afloat. A source from within one of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Bodies (GMPTE/A) reveals that there are just two items to be discussed at the Association of Greater Manchester Councils (AGMA) meeting on Friday 27th July.
The first is a proposed move to change the rules from a consensus of all 10 councils to majority voting ¿ effective immediately. A vote will then follow on whether or not to enter a bid for funding from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) and therefore congestion charging.
Go to:-
www.manchestertollta.com
Read it and weep......
polkyb (24/07/2007 at 08:44)
Polls indicate that from 1000 businesses that 80% said no, so what do they do..? Eliminate 350 NO votes and all of a sudden, a poll of 650 businesses are in their favour.
This stinks!
STOP IT NOW before there is a revolution.
Chris, Irlam (24/07/2007 at 09:15)
We cannot trust these fools and we need to get this scheme knocked on the head NOW or else within 10 years any car use will incur massive costs over & above what you pay now.
This is social engineering at it's very worst - we must not let it happen!
Rob (Manchester Against Road Tolls) www.manchestertolltax.com, Denton (24/07/2007 at 09:26)
Manchester Against Road Tolls will be lobbying AGMA members this Friday (27th July) at Dukinfield town hall where they will be hoping to rubberstamp the proposals to go into the next stage. If you are able to join us you would be more than welcome. Please check our website for other events and news.
Technobabble, Manchester (24/07/2007 at 09:34)
So localised charging will "not be seriously considered for at least five to 10 years"? Where have i heard that before.
And they "would become a reality only if they passed the same 'stringent tests' as the proposals for the city"?? I don't even want to go there!
To anyone who is still wondering why there are those of us that oppose the C-charge, then wonder no more. With this story we can have a glimpse of the future, I just cannot believe the unmitigated audacity to raise this concept before they have even got the Manchester city C-charge off the ground.
rammylad, ramsbottom (24/07/2007 at 09:39)
But take a look at the link below, this is what can happen if you are good at your job and you engage with the government rather than cave in like a lost sheep looking for a peerage:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6912930.stm
Reading and Birmingham are to get a good chunk of �3.5bn of investment to improve their public transport network and their council's have not signed them up to a �3.5bn loan or introduced congestion charging.
Richard and Roger, you are the weakest links.
Forward with Frank (24/07/2007 at 09:43)
I am about to complete on a new property in the city centre and when I heard about the congetion tax I very seriously considered pulling out altogether. I was assured by a local councillor that city centre residents wouldn't have to pay.
My job takes me all over the UK, Europe and the US so I travel out of the city centre every day. With all of these new boundaries I will have to pay some kind of tax at some point on my way out or in. This really is just pathetic. Yet again we are being blatantly taxed again. Council Tax has doubled in the last ten years, they want to tax us if we drive (on top of the tax I pay in road fund licence and fuel).
I wouldn't mind but there isn't any congestion anyway apart from when there are roads or lanes closed, of which there are many as new ugly apartment blocks are going up.
dessie, manchester (24/07/2007 at 10:00)
ace, manchester (24/07/2007 at 10:02)
shocks3360 (24/07/2007 at 10:06)
Batfink, Manchester (24/07/2007 at 10:11)
gillykins, urmston (24/07/2007 at 10:24)
Simon B, www.manchestertolltax.com (24/07/2007 at 10:28)
Chris, Irlam (24/07/2007 at 10:29)
But even when the traffic is at it's worst it is no longer than 1 hour for this journey.
This talk of 'gridlock' is just a myth they use to scare us into accepting the Toll Tax, and this story shows that if we let them get away with this 'Phase 1' then we have NO control over what happens in the future.
DEMAND A REFERENDUM!
Wor Bobby, Salford Quays (24/07/2007 at 10:39)
The Catcher, In the Rye (24/07/2007 at 10:56)
Chris, Irlam (24/07/2007 at 11:05)
Fristly, predictions of doom are usually false - you have to look at WHO is predicting doom & their suggestions for avoiding it (these usually involve lining their pockets with other folks' money).
But, to answer your question:
www.notolls.org.uk/roadpricing.htm#alternatives
and
www.abd.org.uk/btl1.htm
rammylad, ramsbottom (24/07/2007 at 11:07)
1)There is no congestion. I can get to work in my car in half the time that it takes me to do it on Public Transport. I travel about 15/16 miles in anything between 20 and 30 minutes. So I disagree with paying a congestion charge when there is no congestion.
2) Better road planning, clearing the road of crazy mothers driving their kids 400yds so they get dropped off outside the school gates and bringing the buses back under a single controlling authority will actually improve the road system to cope with more traffic.
3) You say the increase in cars / traffic. Where do you get your figures from. COOP have just sacked 500 people. Which company has recently moved 500 staff into Manchester? Salford are to get the BBC so perhaps some infrastructure work needs to be done there but other than that the only construction in town are expensive poorly constructed appartments that are not worth the plasterboard they are constructed with. So why is the traffic going to be a problem? The new workers will have to liv in town as there are no major new housing developments out of town so how do you get 30,000 exrta cars travelling into town if there are not 30,000 extra homes being built out of town.
This tax is not needed and is just a way for Richard to become a Lord by bowing to No. 10's wishes.
Simon, I am up for a Poll tax kind of protest, if our councillors will not listen to reason let's wake the world up to the lack of democracy in Britain.
Laura Norder, Didsbury (24/07/2007 at 11:15)
And by asking how they would address the congestion problems, you are on a hiding to nothing - sorry.
We have one poster, claiming he is going to buy a city centre property, while almost in the same breath, he castigates the new buildings being erected in the city centre. Another, that because the children are on holiday, it's easier and quicker for him to get to work. Maybe we should stop children going to school to save him five-plus minutes? I agree, the 'school run' is a nightmare and maybe designated school buses are the answer - but who'll fund them?
The rest of the 'usual suspects' are mere echoes of the same old argument... they don't want to put their hands in their pockets and stump up the charge. In almost every case, preferring to bury their heads in the sand like so many ostriches.
Technobabble, Manchester (24/07/2007 at 11:17)
There have been promises to improve the public transport for the past ten years, but we have seen very litle of it. The goverment pulled the funding for the Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Portsmouth trams systems all at the same time, yet they now offer us £1.1 billion as a grant component of this deal, as long as we take out another £2 billion in a loan AND introduce charging. Funny that.
For a start i would take the £1.1 billion that the government regards as a grant, and use that to improve the public transport, INCLUDING REREGULATION OF THE BUSES. If it's good enough for London then it's good enough for the second city. If the public transport system was up to scratch then maybe people would not need to use their cars so much.
I would NOT allow Manchester to be used as a guinea pig for a national road-pricing scheme, not would i allow Manchester to be tied to a 30 year loan in the process.
Chris, Irlam (24/07/2007 at 11:29)
And why should the people of Greater Manchester not be allowed a referendum exactly? Explain your reasoning behind this....here's mine:
This whole scheme is a con & the consultation the pro-toll cheerleaders want is a sham - we, the Greater Manchester people, should demand the right to have the final say in an open & public referendum....not with a contrived & fixed telephone poll.
If any Toll Tax supporter has a valid reason for this referendum NOT to occur (thereby denying the people of GM a democratic voice) then speak now or forever hold your peace....your views are wholly invalid without reasoning & backing!
The Catcher, In the Rye (24/07/2007 at 11:30)
I live in NE Manchester. I can see that the people who live in S Manchester do have problems - people like you Laura.
But that is your fault for living in S Manchester. If you don't like the traffic, move out to a less 'fash' area.
Why should I pay towards solving your congestion problems?????
Simon B, www.manchestertolltax.com (24/07/2007 at 11:31)
Get rid of the all red phase at some lights that Richard Leese is proud of.
Then I would
Bus lanes will be part time only, that it just before peak traffic hours, and will end as soon as it is over, if you can reduce the traffic as much as possible with clear roads before rush hour it will not be as bad.
Encourage the use of Car Pooling, cars with 3 people or more will be allowed to use the bus lanes.
Motorcycles will be able to use bus lanes, also provide them with secure parking.
Offer drivers of low emission cars who car pool incentives such as free parking or refunded Car Tax.
Large traffic light controlled roundabouts will be strictly part time, only to used to control peak rush hour, will be off at all other times.
Restore road space by removing poorly planed underused bus lanes
Get the yellow school bus scheme in place.
Create Red Routes, these are roads where no stopping or parking allowed at any time, the idea is they are always clear.
Look at reusing the old branch line network, most of the foundations and stations are still there.
Give councils the power to force the bus companies to run all the required routes, not just the choice profitable ones.
I am aware there is an act in parliament at the moment that will give them these powers, but it also has some unpleasant parts too that need to be removed.
Put back the inset bus stops so the buses do not block traffic every time it stops, and stop putting them directly opposite each other
Ban HGVs from the road between 07.30 to 09.30, and 16.00 to 18.00.
Offer incentives to haulage companies who only trunk between 19.00 to 07.00
Encourage tele commuting, but understand a lot a people do need to be physically at their jobs.
Heres a good one for you, create office pool buildings, that is building that several companies will use, they rent rooms or even complete floors, and their staff can go and work there, these buildings will be very close to where people live, thereby massively reduced congestion, the best part is the companies will build and run them, their cost to council tax payer will be minimal, the cost to companies will be low as they will share the costs, it already happens, they are called shared office buildings, encourage them.