DEPOSED councillor Roger Jones will not withdraw his support for congestion charging despite the controversial measure costing him his Salford seat.
Mr Jones, 56, who has served as chairman of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority, has been a leading advocate for the introduction of the congestion charge, as a means of injecting around £3bn into the region's transport network.
But in the local elections, he lost his Irlam seat on Salford Council to Rick Houlton from the Community Action Party (CAP).
The defeat came after the rival campaign by the CAP that pointed to the costs facing motorists, should the controversial congestion charge be introduced.
Yet despite the loss Mr Jones - who will no longer sit on the
GMPTA
- says he will continue to support the road-pricing plans, unless someone can come up with an alternative scheme to improve public transport.
"As chairman of the GMPTA I am not ashamed of anything I have done and I don't have any regrets," said Mr Jones, who believes the election result relates directly to the issue of congestion charging.
Alternative
"I have not heard anyone come up with an alternative to congestion charging."
Mr Jones stresses that his backing for congestion charging stems from his belief in a need for a much improved public transport system.
"I thought that was worth fighting for and I still do," said Mr Jones.
"Obviously it's disappointing and first and foremost I am a local councillor - so to lose an election in Irlam, where I was born and brought up in, is very sad. I am not a sore loser so I won't be complaining."
Meanwhile the Manchester Against Road Tolls (MART) campaign group say the Irlam result should send a strong message to politicians about public views on the planned congestion charge.
"The Irlam vote is the nearest that we have yet come to a referendum on the charge," said a MART spokesman. "The result will tell the politicians what they already knew - that they would lose a toll poll. That should mean an end to the toll plans, but those who are pushing the plan will probably just go on."
Tweet
Jones to carry on with c-charge crusade
May 03, 2008
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
tram vet (03/05/2008 at 08:44)
Labour voter, (and ashamed of it), Swinton (03/05/2008 at 08:48)
Roger Jones's P45 (formerly MC Spanner) (03/05/2008 at 08:56)
Is that Dear Roger because, unlike every single Labour Minister yesterday who had to appear on TV yesterday, you are not listening. In fact like all Labour politicians you never have wanted to listen.
I have an alternative - Not charging. At Rush hour Yesterday I left Wigan at 4.50 got to Piccadilly for 5.25 and got to Bury for 6.00. I passed no congestion on the way. On a Bank Holiday weekend.
The electorate have told you what they thought but typical of your arrogance, you don't care.
Please can you pick up your belongings,tidy your office and leave it open for the next person brave enough to fight the will of the Public.
ace, manchester (03/05/2008 at 09:06)
Malcolm Amer, Urmston (03/05/2008 at 09:12)
Had enough (03/05/2008 at 09:25)
Richard Cartledge (03/05/2008 at 09:48)
- The only alternative to congestion charging is not to have congestion charging, which is what we already have - no wonder he lost his seat!
shayla (03/05/2008 at 10:32)
You weren't listening to what people were saying, and now, thankfully, we don't have to listen to you!
Any person trying to force this money grabbing scam tax on us will, I'm sure, be shown the door in the same way.
IT'S NICE TO SEE JUSTICE SERVED UP SO WELL.
Frostee, Oldham (03/05/2008 at 10:57)
The problem I have with this man is that even after much debate, even if it were proved beyond all doubt that congestion charging was not the way forward, he still wouldn't listen.
All the talk of consultation has been a sham. My query is just why is he so keen on this charge which will certainly benefit many specific commercial concerns. Hmm, I better not say what I think.
All I can say is good riddance and no matter what he says he won't have the same clout as before.
PW, Manchester (03/05/2008 at 11:16)
And then, once I've managed to establish it as an unarguable fact, I'll fund a round-the-world cruise for Mr Jones and Mr Leese. Ha Ha.
ace, manchester (03/05/2008 at 11:22)
Mark, South Manchester (03/05/2008 at 11:27)
Mike (03/05/2008 at 11:49)
But thats exactly what you are doing Mr Jones, why else would you get an article in the MEN? It would be better if you just bow out gracefully and accept that the CON-tax and the way you tried to justify it, is your biggest downfall of your Ex-political career.
Don't slam the door on your way
Mark Spencer, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. (03/05/2008 at 11:56)
"I have not heard anyone come up with an alternative to congestion charging."
How about paying me not to use my car between 7.00 and 9.30?
It's an alternative - so is banning cars, having to have a parking place to leave your car at work? (ie no on street parking) If you had looked Roger - you may have seen. New York, Birmingham, Edinburgh in fact all bar Cambridge do not want it either.
Black Flag (03/05/2008 at 12:16)
The government actually proposed a tax on car parking spaces a while ago, which would have had the same effect.
Unfortunately, Tesco said they didn't like the idea of paying for taxes on their car parks, so the government dropped the idea. The one opinion that the government isn't prepared to ignore is that of big business.
Caped Crusader, Gotham City (03/05/2008 at 13:06)
Well you could have used the money you pumped into the road improvement schemes that created the congestion.
You could have put taxpayers money into a public transport system as good as London's so that people use it in preference to their cars.
You could have used the money spent on the unreliable and unfit for purpose white elephant that is metrolink to provide a decent train service that would shift more people at least as quickly.
You could have introduced park-and-ride schemes n the periphery of the city centre as per places like York, Oxford or Preston and then a charge for the city centre only.
That's just for starters but you wanted to raise your profile with your politicl masters by implementing the first city-wide road charging scheme.
Pentest (03/05/2008 at 13:19)
Roger Jones's P45 (formerly MC Spanner) (03/05/2008 at 17:56)
There is little congestion anyway in Manchester. Moving freight to the railways doesn't make a difference becuase it still has to go to and from the stations.
The majority of motorway freight moves at night anyway. Why should we have to stop doing what we as businesses have paid for. The government should take the taxes pay for the roads and build better roads - Not make us use the roads less.
didarunna2spain, Tarragona Spain. (03/05/2008 at 19:19)
tram vet (03/05/2008 at 19:25)
Can I have a fiver on a £40k+ gig for the PTE/PTA?
Timberman, MANCHESTER (03/05/2008 at 19:45)
as though they were real residents. This is the sort of 'man' that gives politics and politicians a bad name.
Wonder if he's still on Trickies Christmas party list.
Not to strong for the censor I hope.
S P In exile, Tameside (03/05/2008 at 20:08)
This has been the problem with all the long serving politicians they become distant from the real problems the electorate suffer and they have a couldn’t care less attitude.
This has been a good result not only for the CC but for democracy, Brown will get his come up-ance for his arrogance by not letting the electorate have a say on the European Referendum. So all you councillors and MPs don’t take your position for granted because the voter will come to haunt you.
true, irlam (03/05/2008 at 21:12)
local_lass, Burnage (03/05/2008 at 22:07)
On the other hand working parents, who often work 9-5 or similar hours, and have to get their children to and from childcare at reasonable hours will be unable to avoid the charge.
The Pieman, Whitefield (03/05/2008 at 23:06)
I can think of a few measures to improve traffic flow - extend the metroshuttle FREE bus service out to wider parts of the city. Run longer trams, and subsidize the service. Get rid of the empty bus lanes, and allow the majority of roads into Manchester to be 2 lanes wide, like they used to be before the pavements got widened. Finally, create more opportunity for people to work from home, negating the need for such heavy rush hour traffic.