COUNCIL leaders in Greater Manchester are trying to salvage parts of a huge package of transport improvements which would have come with a congestion charge scheme.
The 10 district councils bid for more than £2.75bn from the government's Transport Innovation Fund, including £1.2bn in the form of a loan paid back from 30 years of profits from the peak-time, weekday charge.
But the plans were left in disarray after a resounding `no' vote in a referendum. Manchester council leader Sir Richard Leese told a meeting of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities it was essential to review schemes that had been part of the overall transport package.
"We have fully developed business cases for a number of transport investments, but now we have no money to pay for them," he said. "We hope to be able to get back to ministers in the new year and assess the plans that we take to them."
Stockport council leader Dave Goddard said: "The arguments still hold. We need a Plan B, and we should go back to ministers saying that these schemes have been fully costed and we need finance."
Transport secretary Geoff Hoon has said the money would remain available ONLY to areas prepared to introduce congestion charges.
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Move to salvage transport cash
December 20, 2008
Richard Leese
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Mark,Radcliffe. (20/12/2008 at 06:16)
Dave Sherwood, Irlam (20/12/2008 at 08:47)
Mr Paul Teeque - DEMOCRACY IS ALIVE IN MANCHESTER! WE WON!, Proud of his fellow mancs!!! (20/12/2008 at 10:07)
PW, Manchester (20/12/2008 at 10:21)
The Government doesn't own money, It belongs to the tax payer, and that's us. Arrogance and blackmail!
Ace Shakespeare , manchester (20/12/2008 at 10:22)
Destroyer Benchill (20/12/2008 at 12:07)
So you sort your empties, plastics etc into sepertae boxes or risk a fine and what do councils do? Mix it all up and send it landfill and don't recycle!
Graham moston, moston (20/12/2008 at 13:42)
Well where has the money been wasted this time on traffic calming Manchester to create more pollution, and cause more congestion.
GET THEM OUT NOW.
citycentre, manchester (20/12/2008 at 15:02)
"In todays papers they revealed that three quarters of all recyclable waste collected by council (in your sepertae bins) gets put together and goes to landfill. "
perhaps that is why they need to build new recycling facilities then?
markyboy, manchester (20/12/2008 at 17:11)
what part of a 78% NO VOTE do you not understand?
do the honourable thing and resign you are very bad loser
Ronnie Silver (20/12/2008 at 20:27)
Piccadilly Dog, Beswick (20/12/2008 at 23:40)
Ronnie Silver (21/12/2008 at 12:08)
PW, Manchester (21/12/2008 at 16:35)
I am now a bus user, having had no sensible choice but to use my car for many years. I have no real complaint about the bus service I use, and couldn't for the life of me think we needed more buses in the rush hour. However, they might run more efficiently if the Councils removed all the choke-points etc that affect us all. But far from being a smug bus-user, I am delighted that the con tax was decimated in that referendum. My choices are now widened, and the self-serving politicians are licking their wounds. I will especially enjoy my Christmas, thanks.
Fran M (Permissum Populus Constituo) (21/12/2008 at 16:38)
I guess this is a good exmple of the conceited, anti-democratic patronising mindset of the pro CON tax brigade.
The plebs need re-educating, sounds like something done by a totalitarian regime. Perhaps that is an indication of their real politics.
shayla (21/12/2008 at 17:30)
Don't know why you are looking so smug, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Mark,Radcliffe. (21/12/2008 at 17:31)
Piccadilly Dog, Beswick (21/12/2008 at 18:49)
Knowledge is power. Power to question what the sheeple have been fed, by vested interests with ulterior motives.
I view TIF as opportunity for local decisions/funding on local issues. Taking power away from Whitehall. Instead of having to go, Oliver Twist-style, begging bowl in hand, for crumbs left over from Crossrail, Olympics, Thiefrow, etc.
I wanted CHOICE to CHOOSE alternatives. I own two cars, live less than 2 miles from the city centre, have my own city centre parking space. However, because of lack of choice (buses in convoys, still waiting for Metrolink), it is still quicker to drive into town, get furniture/watch a film at Ashton Moss, visit family in Stockport, than use public transport.
TIF not going ahead has restricted choice, restricted freedom. I am still waiting for the NO camps' alternative scheme?
-Soothsayer+ (21/12/2008 at 21:00)
Meanwhile, in London, they've decided they don't like bendy buses anymore and are going to spend £100,000,000 on brand spanking new routmasters.
Rammylad (21/12/2008 at 21:41)
Piccadilly Dog, Beswick
When I exposed the fact that Rammy was getting nothing out of TIF, one of the me me yes camp employees of MCC told me to move house so I would be near the tram. I* guess the same solution exists for you. You chose to live where you do, you knew that tram was not there before you moved there, get over it.
At least I will not be saddled with a £1.2bn loan (at ~5%APR ammounting to £2.9bn over 30 years), for the benefit of getting absolutely nothing.
Rammylad (21/12/2008 at 21:43)
He needs to leave, although come the next election we will give him a shove, he only has a 2000 majority.
Mark,Radcliffe. (22/12/2008 at 02:25)
alvinlwh (22/12/2008 at 09:09)
Charles Town, Ashton under Lyne, Lancs. (22/12/2008 at 10:25)
"TIF not going ahead has restricted choice, restricted freedom. I am still waiting for the NO camps' alternative scheme?"
Pray tell good dog, why should those that have voted for the status quo advance an argument for public transport?
Surely it is incumbent on those that want changes to the public transport system to state their veiws.
Emjay See (22/12/2008 at 10:36)
Munkey Boy, Audenshaw (22/12/2008 at 10:39)
Meanwhile, in London, they've decided they don't like bendy buses anymore and are going to spend £100,000,000 on brand spanking new routmasters."
Soothsayer has got a point. You guys are missing the big picture if you think sacking Leese will get the investment in. Something fundamental needs to change if any kind of substantial investment would come without some kind of demand mananagement (such as charging) because in a free market too much demand for a fixed supply of something means a higher price.
alvinlwh: "Here is the alternative way of getting the money, put a £5 tax on public transport fares into the city and you get the upgrade you want."
Well, that would be self-defeating. Putting £5 on public transport fares would result in less people using the service and actually a reduction in revenue. It's a sure way to killing off public transport and introducing more congestion.