Station stops for congestion charge video

Rachel Hoyes

November 09, 2008

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Actors taking part in the Yes vote campaign video

PICCADILLY station came to a standstill as 100 actors held freeze-frame for a 'vote yes to the congestion charge' video.

The three-minute clip, which was launched on YouTube today, will be speeded up to show passers-by walking past the frozen actors to represent a 'Don't let Manchester come to a halt' message.

But the sentiment hadn't got across to Marcquelle Ward, 24, star of ITV's musical drama Britannia High. Passing through the station during the filming, he said: "I think it's an eye-catching campaign but I don't agree with the congestion charge - it's just shifting traffic elsewhere.

"The public pay taxes anyway and the charge will just benefit the government."

But passer-by Neil Tutt, 60, said: "I think the film will be very effective. It certainly caught my attention. I saw the woman standing still with the umbrella half open and I thought something must be the matter with her at first."

Lis Phelan, chair of the Yes campaign, said: "The success of the Obama campaign was in part built on the use of internet viral messaging which engaged young people and motivated them to vote.

"We know that we have wide support amongst young people who are both users of public transport and committed to a greener transport system."

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Rammylad (09/11/2008 at 18:40)

"Lis Phelan, chair of the Yes campaign, said: "The success of the Obama campaign was in part built on the use of internet viral messaging which engaged young people and motivated them to vote."

Well done Lis, you may as well have admitted, we need to use the media to mystify the reality of the chrage because in reality the figures don't stack up and it is indeed a new tax we want to shaft people with.

I am not sure there are many people out there who see the yes campaign as anything but the death of Democracy and Lis is our Saddam Hussain. They have money from the government, they post propoganda to 2.5m people whilst refusing to fund the same for the no campaign, they refuse to give us the facts about how they arrive at their figures and then admit they will use posh advertising to gloss over reality to get this through regardless of substance.

AlexisV (09/11/2008 at 19:52)

I detect a last minute desperate gimmick.

Robcnash, Woodley (09/11/2008 at 20:45)

Hyde Road in Gorton has been brought to a halt recently by the shiny new Tesco that has just opened!!

Whoever thought that was a good idea needs shooting!!

NS (09/11/2008 at 20:50)

If Lis Phelan cares to do a blog search on Manchester Congestion she will see that the yes campaign is going down the tubes with everything from political blogs of all parties, to a record label blog attacking the yes campaign. Likewise the anti-congestion charge groups on Facebook vastly outnumber the pro groups in both number and the size of their following.
Claiming that, Obama-like, the yes campaign is harnessing web 2.0 is simply not true, rather like the central premise of the '9 out of 10 won't pay' claim which was last week revealed as the nonsense we all knew it was by AGMA's own data showing that two thirds of peak time drivers would have to pay and more than a third of all residents would have to pay.

Parkie161 (09/11/2008 at 21:21)

More Brainwashing from the Turkeys. I would love to know who is paying for all of this, and dont give me the same old guff about contributions from businesses who want TIF. We the taxpayer are paying and will continue to do so for the next thirty years if this proposal has any chance of being successful. Spend the money you are squandering on advertising on the badly needed improvements to public transport. We must vote NO to this stealth tax, we already pay enough

Trumpetman21 (10/11/2008 at 08:27)

Yawn, cheap publicity stunt.

I wonder what would happen if the anti Toll Tax side tried a similar stunt? No doubt they would be removed by security or be arrested under anti-terrorism laws.

Vote NO in December - you know it makes sense.

Bean B4, manchester (10/11/2008 at 08:56)

Manchester isn't and won't come to a halt. Congestion is no worse now that 10 years ago. It's a load of old guff.

VOTE NO, VOTE NO, VOTE NO.

A Bus Driver (10/11/2008 at 09:21)

If there is supposed to be no congestion (which isn't true)or the congestion is not as bad as it was can any car or bus user please come on here and tell me an example of where and when their journey to work is quicker than 5 years ago. Dob't include any kind of school holiday or half term, just plain commuting between 0700 and 0930 or between 1500 and 2000 hours. Answers on a postcard please, or here would be even better!

Jay B, oldham (10/11/2008 at 09:24)

yet another waste of our tax payers money!

actors doing nothing! what a waste!

has anyone noticed the cut backs on train services recently?

who are they trying to kid?

what will they do next?

Munkey Boy (10/11/2008 at 09:41)

Parkie161, Jay, it's not tax payers money - it's the vote yes campaign which is independently funded.

And Parkie161, the letter now up on the GMFutureTransport website says 8.1% of weekday drivers pay a charge. Have you evidence beyond a dodgy phone poll to dispute that?

TIF spokesperson (10/11/2008 at 09:54)

Just to clarify, the Yes Campaign has nothing to do with GMPTE, GMPTA or AGMA and has not received any funding from any of these organisations.

Trumpetman21 (10/11/2008 at 09:56)

A Bus Driver.

My journey to work now is considerably quicker than it was 5 years ago.

Thanks.

Lizzie Tickles Little Lad, A-u-L, Lancashire (10/11/2008 at 09:59)

A Bus Driver,

Would you find it strange that with 10% less traffic in the city compared with 10 years ago - there is more congestion now?

I bet when you are sat in some pointless jam you can see what caused it - shame the planners cannot.

Jay B, oldham (10/11/2008 at 10:03)

A Bus Driver my journey has been increased by about 10 mins over the last 10 years of commuting down the same route.
but i put down this delay due to the 3 bus lanes that are now on these routes forcing all the cars into one lane when there used to be two.
so minus those 3 delays i would suggest that it takes about the same time to commute in.

like i've suggested before. a few trial days without bus lanes should be done to see what real congestion exists.

Munkey Boy (10/11/2008 at 10:27)

Lizzie: "Would you find it strange that with 10% less traffic in the city compared with 10 years ago - there is more congestion now?"

There is less traffic entering Manchester because since then they've built a ring road allowing people to bypass the centre. There is not less traffic generally.

birch em all, just outside 3rd pricing zone (10/11/2008 at 10:28)

TIF spokesperson, may be you can then tell us who paid for 100 actors, a film crew, location catering, make up artists, wardrobe people, producer, director, cutting crew, pre-production crew, production crew, post-production crew etc etc etc?
I dont suppose it came from the public purse did it???

A Bus Driver (10/11/2008 at 10:29)

strangely enough, nobody has as yet said where these quicker journeys are, just statements!

Bean B4, manchester (10/11/2008 at 10:36)

IanJ, Blackrod (10/11/2008 at 10:37)

A Bus Driver "strangely enough, nobody has as yet said where these quicker journeys are"

Looking at it from a different point of view, my car journey would have to increase by 300% to take as long as bus.

Even if journey times have got longer, they've got to get far far worse before PT even starts to look attractive.

and since I would have to leave home the night before and sleep over on Bolton Station to get the train, I don't think that's an option.

Lizzie Tickles Little Lad, A-u-L, Lancashire (10/11/2008 at 10:39)

Munkey,

Quick lesson on jargon.

Traffic: Number of vehicles.

Congestion: Time taken to complete journey (speed of trip).

No direct correlation between the two, as a 3 lane highway can have 10's of thousands of movements per hour but suffer no congestion. Whereas the 3 lane stretch of Manchester Road between my hovel and your house has at least 10 sets of traffic lights in less than a mile - causing congestion.

Jay B, oldham (10/11/2008 at 10:47)

ok i'll go first.
east Oldham to manchester city centre down the a62.
3 bus lanes on huddersfield road, manchester road and oldham road. plus the stupid bus lane junction at the end.
and i havent even mentioned the traffic lights being resequenced in the past few months.

ok TIF spokesperson. who paid for this waste of money then?

i've got a new idea for a video.
how about piccadilly gardens totally empty with tubleweed blowing across and a distant bell ringing in the background indicating the ghost town manchester will become if the charge comes in.

just like this current video its not factual at all. just a wild guess!

A Bus Driver (10/11/2008 at 10:55)

I'm not trying to be awkward asking, but I have to drive every day in the rush hours and the journeys are getting longer, I don't know any route I drive where the time has been reduced. The charge is also not just aimed at the city centre but at the outer areas too where the congestion is just as bad. From what I see there are to be improvements to the bus services in most areas outside the city centre and orbital routes with vastly increased frequencies and also more express and limited stop services. Deregulation has caused a rubbish network, but let's not forget what organisation it was that caused the north south divide, and no it wasn't the government, it was GMPTA who divided the buses into North and South then sold them off seperatley, then closed most of the roads in the city centre which stops many through services.

Trumpetman21 (10/11/2008 at 11:06)

"Have you evidence beyond a dodgy phone poll to dispute that?"

What, AGMA's own phone poll was 'dodgy' was it Munkey Boy?

You were trumpeting it as a true indicator of virtue less than 12 months ago.

Make your mind up sonny!

Trumpetman21 (10/11/2008 at 11:07)

Munkey Boy:

How has a reduction in the number of vehicles entering town centres across Greater Manchester in the last decade (AGMA report) equalled increased congestion (AGMA claim)?

Let's have answers and not bluff & bluster this time.

A Bus Driver (10/11/2008 at 11:08)

I have traveled to Manchester Airport from Chadderton every day for 15 years and it takes 35 - 40 minutes in each direction now as it did in 1997.

Congestion is a myth to get you silly voters to back the councils last gasp attempt at achieving something (anything) before they get swept away in a swing to the Tories at the next local elections.
Bean B4, manchester

Then the charge won't affect you going to work as presumably you will be going onto the m60 which means you are going outwards to get onto it, then going round it then off at the airport which is outwards, in the evening the reverse. Therefore no charge. If you choose to drive through Manchester then yes you will pay and so you should!

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