MANCHESTER'S controversial congestion charge is believed to have been delayed by a year.

The pay-to-drive scheme was planned for 2012, if the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities bid for government funding is successful.

But delays and legal problems around the local elections in May have now forced the possible introduction of the charge to be delayed until 2013, according to Greater Manchester transport chief Roger Jones.

The congestion charge proposals form part of a bid to the government's Transport Innovation Fund for £1.2bn and permission to borrow £1.8bn to improve public transport.

A government announcement on whether to grant the money is due in the next few months and it will then go to a four-month public consultation.

But legally, there is not allowed to be a consultation around the local election period.

Coun Jones, chairman of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority and a councillor for Irlam, said: "It's not a secret that we are reaching the end of these negotiations and the civil servants will now pass it to the ministers.

Consultation

"It's now a question of will they or will they not announce it before the local elections and we can't have the public consultation part. The consultation will then have to be after the local elections and will run for four months.

"It follows then that we are a little behind.

"Congestion charging will not be done before the public transport improvements.

"The buses can be improved reasonably quickly but the trains and the trams cannot be done in under four or five years, so we are looking at 2013."

Chris Roughneen, who lives in Irlam and is a member of Manchester Against Road Tolls, said: "The decision to put back the introduction of the charge shows that things aren't being handled properly.

"The information has been very thin on the ground about the prices.

"They are keeping their cards very close to their chest.

"I just hope that the next consultation is handled more fairly than the last one, which was a sham."

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