THE majority of motorists in Greater Manchester are spending at least 10 minutes a day stuck in traffic jams, according to new research.
An online survey carried out by onepoll.com discovered that more than seven out of 10 drivers find themselves stuck in the jams once a day.
More than half of the 2,439 people who responded to the survey - which was carried out for supporters of the proposed congestion charging scheme - also revealed that they were late at least once a fortnight.
And more than half also confessed to making journeys with at least three empty seats in their car.
Lord Peter Smith, Wigan council leader and chairman of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, said: "The fact that so many people spend time stuck in traffic jams indicates congestion is an issue for the city.
"Businesses can only benefit if all the people who are arriving late for work each week as a result of congestion get there on time."
Survey
The online survey also revealed that more than 65 per cent of people believe public transport does not offer a comparable alternative to the car and believe that services are slow, unreliable and expensive.
But more than half would choose to travel on public transport if it were improved - 41 per cent would stick with their car.
Lord Smith said: "The findings indicate that many people would choose to use public transport if they believe it provided a reliable alternative to the car.
"The Transport Innovation Fund investment of up to £3bn will bring that about through the introduction of a far more integrated network of trams, trains and buses and a smart travelcard allowing people to get around faster and more efficiently."
The Transport Innovation Fund money would also see new Metrolink lines running to East Didsbury, Manchester Airport, Oldham and Rochdale town centres and Tameside.
Funds have also been set aside for a line running out to Trafford Park and the Trafford Centre.
The people of Greater Manchester will be allowed to vote on the proposals in a referendum on December 11.
Click here for an interactive timeline following the progress of the c-charge proposals
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
jpw1984 (31/08/2008 at 19:24)
I remember when the Sainsburys was being build in Hazel Grove that I was in the traffic for over an hour. That was a jam!!!
In fact, when I think about it, it does seem that alot of these jams are due to road works.
How will business cope when you're going to have workers demand pay rises to be compensated for the CON Charge ? The CON CHARGE needs drivers for it to be fully functional as the TIF is just a LOAN. How will it be paid off if there are no vehicles on the road other than buses? Bus & train fare rises?
Sir Reginald Ringpull, A-u-L, Lancashire (31/08/2008 at 19:36)
""Businesses can only benefit if all the people who are arriving late for work each week as a result of congestion get there on time."
Dear Peter,
In the real world people do not get into work late, as the employer tends to sack those that do. They leave for work in good time. The time that are spent in jams effect those on the buses also - plus they may well have had a five minute walk to the bus stop and a ten minute wait for the bus. Travel by car is QUICKER than shankies pony than bussing it.
Rammylad (31/08/2008 at 19:39)
You are just embarrissing yourselves now.
ebble, manchester (31/08/2008 at 20:04)
How many people want to spend real, hard cash on a congestion charge to save 10 minutes?
The Cocteau Twins (31/08/2008 at 20:10)
PW, Manchester (31/08/2008 at 20:15)
big g, sale (31/08/2008 at 21:05)
Rt Hon Dr Rev MC Spanner MP QC FCA FRICS JP OK (31/08/2008 at 21:32)
The propoganda continues for Lord Peter Goebbels
Vincit Omnia Industria, Radcliffe (31/08/2008 at 22:36)
why should Wigan folk have a vote on it? How many of their residents will have to pay the charge. Not many I'll bet.
Vote NO to this con charge!
Dave Sherwood, Irlam (31/08/2008 at 22:43)
stivh, Urmston (01/09/2008 at 00:15)
Well I would have to spend an hour and a quarter on two buses in exchange for that 10 minutes struggling in static traffic.
Where is all this funding coming from for all these surveys.
The last online votes I have seen on various Radio and community links ahow over 70% have no wish for a better service if we have to fund it ourselves.
The taxes are already being payed by all of us for these improvements.
If the service can be made better then why hasn't already been done.
If private enterprise was working correctly then the buses would be chea, clean and plentiful.
If the Metro Link was working correctly then it would be expanding under it's own profits.
If you are a car driver and you waste 10 minutes of your day in static traffic then do what I do leave 15 minutes earlier.
Oh and VOTE No to the extra tax on the 11th as life will not get any easier just more expensive.
Jozef Goj, Colo Heights NSW Australia (01/09/2008 at 03:14)
There is no solution to this problem as when the roads are loaded with traffic they like a chain that is as strong as its weakest link work to the speed of the slowest intersection. There is a solution and that is to construct intersections that allow all drivers to enter and exit without stopping.
With variable speeds on main arterial roads and Liquid Flow Traffic Intersections traffic jams, gridlock and congestion cannot happen.
These intersections at www.ubtsc.com.au when placed into the road mosaic will allow all motorists to cross town in peak traffic, faster, safer, without stopping at a single intersection while reducing fuel costs and pollution.
You just have to build them.
But none of this will happen without the help of people who want to give the country a roads infrastructure that works.
Today's road system" is broke and it needs fixing" but not with outdated road intersections up to 140 years old that stop and slow traffic flow and adding extra lanes that just makes the mobile car park bigger.
To fix the problem needs investment and if that's the kind of investment it will take, that's the kind of investment that must be made.
Then you can build a traffic system that finally and completely eliminates all jams gridlock and congestion.
Perhaps a reporter would care to feature an article that explores the benefits to all with a roads infrastructure that cannot fail and gives all vehicles the opportunity to cross town in peak traffic without ever stopping at a single intersection.
What saving would the economy get from this infrastructure?
How quickly would you get home if you didn't have to stop?
How much money would you save?
How would productivity improve and would that need more people employed?
Just a few questions that deserve answers.
S P In exile, Tameside (01/09/2008 at 06:43)
Every week the MEN find someone who is in favour of this charge, out of the 2,439 people poled half responded that makes 1219.5 who could be bothered to play the little game. Considering it was a web site that carried out this survey I would say the response was very poor, so basically there’s not a lot to brag about.
The fact that more than half confessed to making journeys with at least three empty seats in their car, do you think that is because nobody the driver knows work in his direction.
It isn’t rocket science to work that one out.
The only true survey that matters is the one in December called the congestion charge referendum, more than a potsy 12 hundred people will take part and if the comments on here are anything to go by it should be a resounding NO!!
Dondare, Barnet (01/09/2008 at 07:13)
The Blue Tool, URMSTON (01/09/2008 at 07:28)
Trudy, Bolton (01/09/2008 at 08:59)
stivh, Urmston (01/09/2008 at 09:29)
My daughter this morning set of one and a half hours early for her start time in College (1st day). Two bus times later and with no bus arrived she elected to travel further into town and over(into)the outer boundary line where she found that an alternative bus has also failed to arrive. So dads taxi is now about to go and get her so she can get to college. This would in the future incur a charge and will today create congestion for a journey that I could of done for her or she herself in a car for less than twenty minutes of her time, warm dry and confortable and a lot safer probably if some of her tales over the last couple of years were to be believed.
Guess wher her vote will be.
Oh and regharding the bikes - my son spent three years cycling into town and locally to work after 5 stolen bikes and well over £1500 of his hard owned minimum wage the first thing he did when he could afford it was BUY a car.
Try and find a decent cycle storage that is secure and close to work and maybe you might get some more enthusiasm.
But then most cyclists want everything for free when it comes to using the road?
Mark,Radcliffe. (01/09/2008 at 10:21)
Munkey Boy (01/09/2008 at 10:24)
Cllr Ken Hulme, Delph (01/09/2008 at 10:56)
The poor frequency of services - particularly rail also makes a 10 minute delay by road preferable to a 50 minute wait for a train. My wife recently had to go into Manchester at peak times. She drove to Stalybridge station to catch a train into Manchester. The waiting time was so long she decided to risk congestion and drive into the centre of Manchester - apart from a short delay in Deansgate - no problems !
The new proposals offer nothing for an outlying area like Saddleworth. We might get longer trains (already announced by Ruth Kelly)which might relieve some of the existing overcrowding, but they will still be at hourly intervals.
I'm Labour and I'm very pro public transport but I think the current scheme is flaky. It looks like a stealth tax on motorists who have little alternative but to use their cars. Its about raising funds to put tram tracks into the centres of Ashton.Oldham and Rochdale and to further the regeneration of the City of Manchester. All of which I'm in favour of - but not by funding it through a dodgy congestion charge. Labour is going to be hit very hard at forthcoming elections, local and national if it is just seen as bashing motorists.
Maybe Jeremy Clarkson will end up as Prime Minister after all.
Polky (01/09/2008 at 11:14)
A traffic jam is NOT a red light.
Dave Sherwood, Irlam (01/09/2008 at 11:29)
Polky (01/09/2008 at 11:39)
Why is the TiF trying to make ME pay for a Metrolink extension which I will never use because the closest it gets to me is 5 miles away?
Peel offered to pay, but GMPTE said no because, I speculate, they didn't want Peel to have a stake in Metrolink.
Also, getting on my bike is something I do on the weekends for recreation and is completely impractical for my journey to and from work. If you can get on yours then good for you, just remember that some of us can't.
Chris, Irlam (01/09/2008 at 11:51)
It is if you are a pro-toll troll desperate to force a Toll Tax upon the area....
Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (01/09/2008 at 12:41)
Maybe the next thing we'll find is the outer charge boundary being diverted round Barton dock road so that people can go to the Trafford Centre from the M60 without having to pay the con charge.