TRANSPORT secretary and Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly believes the introduction of £5 a day congestion charge is one of the keys to Manchester becoming a world-class city.

She said congestion had to be tackled if the economic growth enjoyed by the city and surrounding districts over the last 10 years is to continue.

Asked how she would "sell" the idea of congestion charging to local people, she said: "If you are serious about economic growth and if you want to see the boom that Greater Manchester, Leeds and other cities have enjoyed in the last decade, if you want to see that continue and if you want to see jobs continue to be created in the future then you have to make sure that those jobs are not stifled by rising levels of congestion."

Miss Kelly was speaking in Manchester as she confirmed that the government would hand over its portion of the £575m cost of the so called "Little Bang" expansion of Greater Manchester's tram network that will mean tram routes to Rochdale, Droylsden and Chorlton. But extensions to the town centres of Oldham, Rochdale and Ashton, plus Manchester airport - the "Big Bang" - all depend on a bid by the Association Of Greater Manchester Authorities for Transport Innovation Fund money from central government. This will mean Greater Manchester transport chiefs have £3bn to spend on the tram expansion. The congestion charge proposals are part of that bid.

Miss Kelly said: "I know in Bolton, other people know who live in Greater Manchester, that there is serious congestion at the moment, but pitch yourself forward five, 10 years ahead and we can imagine the roads being snarled up and jobs frankly just not coming to this city and other growing cities."

The congestion proposals are regarded by many as having cost Passenger Transport Authority chairman Roger Jones his seat on Salford Council when the local elections were held on May 1.

But Transport Secretary Miss Kelly dismissed the suggestion that the pay-to-drive proposals could be an electoral liability for other politicians. She said: "Now I know that the Tories have been making hay with the proposals - [but] they don't know whether the government will give the go ahead or not, or indeed what it may contain.

"I campaigned on the doorstep in Bolton West - the Tories put out leaflet after leaflet on the congestion charge and not one single person mentioned [it] to me as the reason for changing their vote, or indeed, raised it as an issue."

Meanwhile, Cllr Kieran Quinn, Tameside Council's member for Economic Regeneration has warned that councils in Greater Manchester will continue to demand improvements in public transport before signing up to congestion charging. Tory-run Trafford and Bury, and Lib Dem-held Stockport have already withdrawn their support for congestion charging.

Cllr Quinn said: "It's quite clear, before my council or any council will discuss congestion charging, we have to have investment in public transport first.

"At the moment all people see is the stick of a congestion charge - let's see the carrot, the improvement, and that's the message I would send - let's see the investment in public transport first then we can have the conversation abou the congestion charge."

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