A MASSIVE 'go-slow' protest against high fuel prices is set to bring roads across Greater Manchester to a standstill.
More than a thousand bikers are expected to join forces to cause havoc on motorways and major routes into the city centre to demonstrate their anger at the soaring cost of petrol.
Motorbike club members from across Britain are expected to link up with local riders for the rush-hour gathering on Thursday.
Commuters are being warned to expect delays on the M60 and the M62, as well as on major roads into Manchester and Salford.
Fighting back
A 24-year-old rider known as `Maverick', one of the protest's organisers, said: "Too many people are happy just to sit watching the news and to accept the fact that fuel prices and taxes are going up.
"But we've decided that we can make a change and that we're going to do something about it. We're going to be that voice that stands up and fights back. We'll make a difference."
Motorists in Britain pay the highest fuel tax in Europe - 68p per litre of unleaded, compared with the equivalent of 35p in Ireland and 31p in Spain.
The average Briton pays almost £900 in petrol taxes annually.
Dozens of lorry drivers caused chaos when they held a fuel protest in London earlier this week.
Chancellor Alistair Darling has suggested a 2p rise in fuel duty, due in October, would be postponed.
Wildfire
Maverick added: "If 60 lorry drivers can do something, then 1,000 riders can do a lot more.
"On Thursday, I would seriously expect a traffic slowdown on the M60 and possibly the M62, and on roads into Manchester."
Independent bikers from Rochdale began organising the protest less than 48 hours ago and word spread like wildfire on networking websites and via e-mails.
They say the heavy fuel tax makes it difficult for bikers to take part in regular charity rides.
More than 200 riders were set to gather in Rochdale last night to plan their protest route.
Greater Manchester Police, meanwhile, said it was unaware a protest was due to take place.
Concerned
The riders are expected to gather at Birch services on the M62 near Middleton before starting their protest at 8am.
They expect to be joined by a fleet of lorries and taxis, whose drivers are also concerned about the fuel tax.
The cavalcade will head down the motorway to Salford Quays, but some of the riders will head down major roads into Manchester.
One 46-year-old rider, nicknamed `Triumph Man', said: "Manchester United were denied a victory parade through the city after they returned from the Champions League final.
"But our protest is going to be even more spectacular. There will be a real carnival atmosphere and we will ask police to be there to keep it safe.
"All we want is for a small percentage taken off fuel tax."
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Bikers plan city fuel protest
May 31, 2008
PETROL PROTEST Soaring prices at the pumps have prompted the action by more than 1,000 bikers
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
red rose, cumbria (31/05/2008 at 09:14)
ace, manchester (31/05/2008 at 10:34)
Karney for head of GMPTA(formerly MC Spanner) (31/05/2008 at 10:37)
Which hospital do they want to close down to pay for it?
Which Library? Which School?
If they want to protest why don't they go and protest at OPEC. Maybe they could go to China and ask them to use less.
How does stopping people in this country earning a living, help those of us who are struggling?
Ex Bus Driver 118 118, Manchester (31/05/2008 at 11:22)
Pentest (31/05/2008 at 11:42)
whistlingdixy (31/05/2008 at 11:52)
David Knight (31/05/2008 at 12:00)
Mark,Radcliffe. (31/05/2008 at 12:05)
TISS (31/05/2008 at 12:42)
Karney for head of GMPTA(formerly MC Spanner) (31/05/2008 at 12:44)
Last time it was 25p off and this time it's twenty pence. By next week you will be putting the taxes up.
Not one person here has said what they would be willing to give up in exchange for lower fuel duty.
Do you increase the tax on
Insurance
Flights
Income
Food
Business (although as with most taxes like this, they are offset by cutting jobs)
or do you cut
Disability benefit?
Incapacity Benefit?
Income Support?
or do you shut
a school or two?
a hospital?
a library?
get rid of weekly bin collections?
or
Cancel the Metrolink extension
The country's finances are screwed by ten years of inefficiency. What would you propose to do because clooging the M62 doesn't solve the problem. If anything the lost business income and associated taxes will make the task marginally more difficult.
It's easy to protest. It's not so easy to come up with a solution. Luckily those of us that work hard will be clear of this rabble before they start work. Oh I forgot - the protesters won't be working
ace, manchester (31/05/2008 at 12:52)
Well for a start lets stop sending millions of aid to the third world and buying books and educating africa (africa is a very wealthy country)in its own rights minerals etc. that would be a start,and then stop sending billions into europe.We pay a lot more into europe than we need to .Lets stop buying pricy foreign technology when we can build it ourselves at half the price?thats a start,and lets stop giving immigrants rights to appeal costing our legal system millions these are just a few costing the british taxpayer billions over years??the list is endless that the british taxpayer has to folk out each year ..
ace, manchester (31/05/2008 at 12:57)
Youve got the right (moniker) lets help the third world at the cost of the british taxpayer? its always been the same in britain the workers pay for vthe third world so that the wealthy landowners and millionairs benefit from cheap labour at the cost of the british worker,only now the british worker pays by doing without things like medicines/and pays extra tax etc.So that britains looks after the third world workers so that our jobs can go abroad...sorry but this is the truth.
sparkie, Salford (31/05/2008 at 13:05)
PW, Manchester (31/05/2008 at 13:36)
As for which hospital etc to shut down, that doesn't even enter into it. This excessive taxation is destroying the economy. Anything that wipes the smirk off the faces of this self-satisfied government is fine by me. If we can create more faces like Jacqui Smith at the Police Federation conference, then great! The country's had enough of this lot, and they're now showing it.
Tax the rich more. I don't care. But this government prefers taxing those on low wages, and wants all the peasants to use the bus.
Ronald BA Gillatt, Canada (31/05/2008 at 13:47)
Ron Gillatt
Ontario, Canada
ex.Poynton
Mark,Radcliffe. (31/05/2008 at 14:07)
Jinty (31/05/2008 at 14:14)
Can suggest an easier way to lower fuel prices, vote this Goverment out!!!
James, Lancashire (31/05/2008 at 14:15)
As it happens, aid to third world countries makes up less than 0.7% of government spending, and cutting it would not be able to pay for very much in the way of a fuel tax cut, reardless of the consequences for the millions of poor people reliant on our help. Can anyone really say that it's worth condemning thousands of starving people to death merely to save a couple of pennies off the price of fuel?
Whatever the government decides to do with fuel taxes, supplies of oil are running out, and prices are only going to one way. We're going to have to change some time, and the longer we leave it the more expensive and the more painful it's going to be.
Black Flag (31/05/2008 at 14:16)
Taxing income has a far more damaging impact on the economy than taxing fuel. If there are any changes in the source of tax, it should be going the opposite way to what you are suggesting - less tax on income, more tax on fuel.
Mike, Manchester (31/05/2008 at 14:17)
Ace, Africa is not a wealthy country, it's a continent containing over 60 countries and territories, a few of them are wealthy. I believe the reason we send money and aid there is because they need it at times and we are a generous country. I mean we must be a generous country as we pay so many idle scroungers to watch Trisha day in day out.
Wayne (31/05/2008 at 15:11)
Last time it was 25p off and this time it's twenty pence. By next week you will be putting the taxes up.
Not one person here has said what they would be willing to give up in exchange for lower fuel duty.
Do you increase the tax on
Insurance
Flights
Income
Food
Business (although as with most taxes like this, they are offset by cutting jobs)
or do you cut
Disability benefit?
Incapacity Benefit?
Income Support?
or do you shut
a school or two?
a hospital?
a library?
get rid of weekly bin collections?
or
Cancel the Metrolink extension
The country's finances are screwed by ten years of inefficiency. What would you propose to do because clooging the M62 doesn't solve the problem. If anything the lost business income and associated taxes will make the task marginally more difficult.
It's easy to protest. It's not so easy to come up with a solution. Luckily those of us that work hard will be clear of this rabble before they start work. Oh I forgot - the protesters won't be working ""
--------------------------
Well, yeah, get rid of disability, incapacity, income support, child benefit etc
Metrolink extension?? What a waste of money.
Oh and btw, I work a late shift and I'll be joining in the protest.
----------------------------
""I can fully sympathise with the lorry drivers and other people whose livelihoods depend on driving, wanting to protest about fuel tax, but I think motorbikers are the last people who should be complaining. No one is forced to drive around the countryside on a Sunday afternoon, much like no one is forced to drive an unnecessarily gigantic car, and it is exactly this kind of frivolous waste of fuel which helps to drive up the prices for poor rural families and all the other people who are genuinely reliant on their cars.
As it happens, aid to third world countries makes up less than 0.7% of government spending, and cutting it would not be able to pay for very much in the way of a fuel tax cut, reardless of the consequences for the millions of poor people reliant on our help. Can anyone really say that it's worth condemning thousands of starving people to death merely to save a couple of pennies off the price of fuel?
Whatever the government decides to do with fuel taxes, supplies of oil are running out, and prices are only going to one way. We're going to have to change some time, and the longer we leave it the more expensive and the more painful it's going to be.
James, Lancashire""
I'm a lorry driver and a biker, I use my bike to get to and from work, a very dangerous commute I might add with the morons in cages.
I work a lot of hours and enjoy going out on my bike on the odd day off I get, we also do a hell of a lot of charity runs.
Most bikers use their bikes for work and save a hell of a lot more than they spend on a Sunday ride
The Blue Loon, UAE (31/05/2008 at 16:31)
apecar, cheshire (31/05/2008 at 16:35)
at last the biker community is willing to give a show of defiance to the ever rising cost of fuel..i will be there to join in the demo,and if enough of us all do the same then great...all the demos in this country always go to london so another major city is now to be held up or rather slowed down...see you there
d1v1s1onby0, Wigan (31/05/2008 at 16:40)
Petrol is taxed at a % rate – so when the price of petrol goes through the roof – like now – then the government picks up millions in EXTRA taxes.
Cutting the tax rate at the moment wont mean that services will have to be cut, it just means that government will only get the funds it has budgeted for.
James – who said anything about riding round on a Sunday afternoon? – many bikers commute – and every bike on the road is one less car
Anyone know what time they are meeting up on Thursday?
Andy, Wythenshawe (31/05/2008 at 16:44)
Public transport should be subsidised so the low paid do not have their travel costs hiked beyond their means.
We need to return to the car ownership rates of 30yrs ago and extend and improve public transport that can be used in conjunction with cycling.
The reason why so many own a car is because it's still dirt cheap and affordable for the majority.