£318m to bring in c-charge

July 07, 2008

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SETTING up a congestion charge scheme in Greater Manchester will cost £318m, it was revealed today.

Full details of the plan to bring in road charging in return for £3bn spending on public transport were published for the first time - on the opening day of a 14-week consultation period.

The figures reveal that:

£318m will go on setting up computer systems, cameras and infrastructure

Another £31m a year will be spent on `operating costs'

But the scheme will eventually pay for itself by generating £174m a year in payments from commuters each paying around £5 a day.

The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities - AGMA - is sending out a 24-page colour brochure to 1.2m homes and businesses from today to set out its proposals for the scheme.

It includes details of 46 public `exhibitions' across the region between next weekend and the end of September where people are invited to comment on the plans.

Click here to see a map of the congestion zones.

Lord Peter Smith, leader of AGMA, said: "We are very interested to hear the views of local residents and businesses. As part of this consultation, we are holding exhibitions in each of the 10 local authority areas of Greater Manchester to ensure that residents are kept fully up-to-date. GMPTE is also interested in receiving views on the proposals from businesses."

AGMA has been promised £1.5bn from the government's Transport Innovation Fund on the condition that it brings in a congestion charge.

It also plans to borrow a further £1.2bn against the proceeds of the charge and spend nearly £3bn on improving public transport.

Supporters say that it is the only way Greater Manchester can secure the money needed for transport improvements.

The financial plans published today show almost one tenth of the overall £3bn will be spent just on setting up the congestion charge.

Of the remaining money, Metrolink would get £1.18bn, £363m would go to the buses, £149m on rail refurbishments and £526m on other schemes such as interchanges.

Transport bosses plan to fund 30 public transport schemes and promise 80 per cent of the improvements will be up and running before the introduction of a congestion charge in 2013 at the earliest.

The bid has already been approved by government but AGMA will use responses to the consultation which ends on October 10 to decide whether to push ahead. And with the 10 councils in AGMA split, a final decision may be by referendum.

For more information see: www.gmfuturetransport.co.uk

What do you think? Have your say.

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Chris, Irlam (07/07/2008 at 09:05)

£300 million?

That's a lot of extra money that COULD be spent on PT if we weren't FORCED to accept the Toll Tax.

And they reckon they'll make £174 million a year from the Toll Tax do they?

Divide that by the number of working days and that equates to around £670,000 every day - or almost 134,000 drivers paying £5 a day.

Not going to happen is it!

Bigfish (07/07/2008 at 09:24)

Stand by for the boring, tired, repeated, for and against rants!

bung it in, outer space (07/07/2008 at 09:28)

this money would be better spent elsewhere,
schools,nhs,homeless ect the list is endless.but all these idiots can do is pick on the motorist and workers,if this idea comes off.what will the next air brained idea be.tax on breathing freshair perhaps.

In the know (07/07/2008 at 09:31)

I see the wording has been changed, were we not once promised all the improvements in place before the introduction of the charge, now it is 80%.

I wonder how many times it will be changed in the future.

Dave (07/07/2008 at 09:33)

WHY do ANTI TOLL TAX COMMENTERS need to write HALF THEIR WORDS in CAPITALS?

Is it because they can't put forward a persuasive argument using normal text?

Before a thousand people write "why don't we spend the £300mil on public transport instead", then use some common sense and realise that we don't have that £300mil in the first place without the congestion charge.

Nelly's Patch, Cheadle Hulme (07/07/2008 at 09:37)

Here is a anti C Charge rant. Its a load of nonsense and a waste of money . Drove into Hulme today from Cheadle Hulme. Left at 7.50 used M60 arrived in Hulme at ...wait for it....8.15 parked up and ordering coffee... Traffic was as per normal not anything to complain about.

dessie, manchester (07/07/2008 at 09:39)

MANCHESTER DOES NOT WANT THIS ADDED TAX WE CANT AFFORD IT!!!

Kiwi-blue, Christchurch NZ (07/07/2008 at 09:47)

A world class transport infrastructure will obviously cost a considerable amount of money. This is a reasonable part of that cost!

Funky Tuna (07/07/2008 at 09:48)

Big fish, and so say all of us!

It is going ahead! The 'C' charge in Manchester is inevitable after London implemented it. Next will be Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham.

Deal with it, its coming and nothing you say or do will change the minds of the powers that be. I am against the charge, however, I am a realist.

It will happen……………………

suge, mancs (07/07/2008 at 09:49)

"Bigfish" you said it.

Jay B, oldham (07/07/2008 at 09:52)

Ah thats better!
Now they've finially confirmed how much it would be to set it up.
Like many others out there are thinking.
Just spend the £300 million on public transport. Thats a good enough investment isn't it.
All the government want the con charge for is to rake in yet more money from the working class.
They get enough of our money already!
Might as well not bother working if this is the case!

johnnyboy, Ashton-u-Lyne, Lancashire (07/07/2008 at 10:00)

Now we have the government commitment,
loose the outer ring, put in a free park and ride, finish the full metrolink scheme, get the grant and payback over longer period.This would reduce setting up and operating costs and satisfy all requirements. Put forward in a binding referendum.

mancmanomyst, Wythenshawe (07/07/2008 at 10:05)

I have reservations about this because knowing the governments record with IT and construction project over-runs I don't think there is a chance in hell that they can do it for £300m - i think you're probably talking more like £800m because each driver will have to be provided with a smartcard and the inner ring is so vast that every single minor road is going to need toll beakons etc.

I also don't think that 1.2 billion will get the tram extentions we're talking about because the price of steel is soring and the cost of fuel will only add to the cost.

They've already shelved the loop to wythenshawe hospital - dont be suprised if the big bang gets smaller and smaller by the day.

Seeing as there's 3 billion in the TIF pot itself which was meant to go to multiple councils - maybe we should renegociate and ask for 2 billion from the TIF fund. No other council wants to even think about a charge until they've seen what affect it has on manchester.

I'll tell you one think, our councellors are brave!!!

Pentest (07/07/2008 at 10:15)

What a diabolic shambles and waste of tax payers money.
The sooner this hair brained scheme get thrown on the scrap heap, the better it will be for Greater Manchester.
This lot of NuLabour idiots should be flogged for taking it as far as they have done ...no doubt Laura Disorder would administer a soothing massage after.

Kurt Stevens, Sale (07/07/2008 at 10:17)

What a bargain (not), so that's 10% of the money gone on just the set-up costs.

Wonder how much that will increase by prior to 2013!

And where is our referendum?

Black Sabbath (07/07/2008 at 10:20)

Funky Tuna said:

"Deal with it, its coming and nothing you say or do will change the minds of the powers that be. I am against the charge, however, I am a realist."

So we should just sit back & let the powers that be dictate to us should we? And here's me thinking we live in a democracy! No wonder we are in the state we are in when that is the attitude of the general public!

You are not a realist mate, just a muppet of a doormat!

Pentest (07/07/2008 at 10:20)

Always remember as far as the transport system in Manchester is concerned ...you can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear.
Years of Labour mismanagement have ...ie: the left hand not knowing what the rights doing. The first priority should be to get the system we already have into some sort of order, instead of throwing more money into a badly organized system, and road which would be more suited to a third world country.

Fred Parker (07/07/2008 at 10:30)

Use the £300 million to improve Public Transport. This combined with reinvestment from the private companies who own the public transport system should go someway in getting the improvements that we want rather than lining the pockets of the fat cats. For those of us who use public transport, it should be pointed out we will inevitably be hit with higher fares, so everyone is paying and will do so for the next 30 years…….. so it is not just the motorists who will be affected by the CONgestion charge. This is just another stealth tax. No to CONgestion Charging

Call me Dave, Manchester (07/07/2008 at 10:36)

These figures do not add up unless they are planning some hefty price increases on public transport fares to cover the short fall.
There are simply not enough cars crossing the cordons now let alone after the conjestion tax hs priced people of the road.

(DAVE GODDARD FOR LEADER OF MANC) paul teeque (07/07/2008 at 10:55)

The Councils own figures say there are less cars entering the city. My commute this morning took me 12 minutes.

M60 fast flowing, A57 30mph all the way. why is all this money being wasted?

If traffic calming, bus lanes, engineered congestion, traffic lights were sorted on top of already good flowing roads we'd be sorted. Without hitting the pockets of manchester to the tune of £2080 EACH!

pgoose (07/07/2008 at 11:06)

BANGING.

i'm all for this jizz, and as far as 300mill setting up costs goes why not... can't wait to get the tram down my way.

big cheese. yes please.

Mark,Radcliffe. (07/07/2008 at 11:14)

How much did the Government fire into the Euro Tunnel,at what stage are they reaping their rewards for that investment? Spiralling costs over London 2012..Are we now the fall-guys to subside failures elsewhere...I wont pay a c-charge,I just wont go into Manchester.But I'll eat all my fridge contents to keep you happy.

Shark Sandwich, Heaton Moor (07/07/2008 at 11:20)

I noticed that the revenues seem very high (pointed out by Chris). We’re also told less than 10% of congestors will ever pay the full congestion charge so lets say the upper end of the estimate is true and 10% are paying the full charge that means £603,000 per day is being raised by people paying at the lower rate of £3. That means the scheme relies on 201,000 cars to cross the outer ring between 7 & 9.30 and between 4 & 6 in the evening. That is nearly 15 times as many cars that cause the so–called congestion now.

So, to work, the scheme must have lot more congestion than it has now yet the AIM of this scheme is to remove congestion. Something isn’t quite right?

Paul Tippett, Londoon (07/07/2008 at 11:21)

Think very carefully before you say yes. We have it already in London and it is a nightmare. Even the new mayor is considering abolishing one of the zones because of flawed consultation and local protests.
It will cost you a lot of money, and you, as council tax payers will get nothing back in return. It is expensive to use, and disasterous for business. It may come in at £5 per day as did ours, but you'll find the charge will soon rise - as did ours.
My advice would be DON'T DO IT.
Paul. London.

Lawrence Glendinning (07/07/2008 at 11:33)

£31 million per year to run it the CONgestion charge? What is this being spent on?

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