A free parking and travel bonanza is being offered to the people of Greater Manchester to help the region bounce back from the riots.
The amount of shoppers in Manchester fell by 20 per cent last weekend due to the fear caused by looters who ransacked the city centre and Salford.
Now the M.E.N. can reveal that car parks will be thrown open and the entire Metrolink network made free of charge in a radical move to boost trade. Council chiefs who put together the package said taking advantage would be the best way for people to ‘show their love’ for Manchester. All on-street parking in the city centre will be free after 4pm tomorrow and the two subsequent Thursdays.
NCP will waive charges at the Manchester Arndale car park from 6.30pm-10pm for the next three Saturdays, starting this weekend.
There will also be no charge at the car parks in Chester Street, at the Printworks, and Salford Exchange between 4pm-8pm tomorrow, the next Thursday, and the Thursday after.
Metrolink is offering free travel between 10am-6pm on Sunday across the tram network.
The offer is available to groups of up to two adults and three children and a voucher for travel will be printed in Friday’s M.E.N. It can also be downloaded from the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) website.
The deal will save £7 per family and there must be at least one adult in a group.
The parking and transport package has been agreed after thousands of people backed the I Love MCR campaign launched in the aftermath of last week’s disorder.
Bus companies in the region were coming under pressure last night to join in.
The fightback will also see a host of events in the city centre over coming weeks.
This weekend, performers will bring free dance, street theatre and comedy shows to Piccadilly Gardens, St Ann’s Square, New Cathedral Street and Exchange Square as part of the family-friendly Platform 4 event.
There will also be evening shows at Castlefield Arena on Friday and Saturday night. Manchester Pride returns over the bank holiday weekend and Formula One driver Jenson Button will be racing down Deansgate as part of the Vodafone VIP Live event on bank holiday Monday.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester council, said: "The city has embraced the I Love MCR campaign with enthusiasm, and there is no better way of demonstrating that spirit than getting out and enjoying everything the city centre has to offer – whether it’s shopping, culture or nightlife."
TfGM chairman Andrew Fender said: "After last week’s disturbances, it’s great to see Greater Manchester back on its feet and moving on.
"That’s why we’ve decided to offer free travel on Metrolink this Sunday from ten until six for everyone who wants to enjoy a day out – whether it’s for shopping, leisure or a family outing to one of the many attractions Greater Manchester has to offer."
NCP chief executive Jo Cooper said: "NCP is delighted to offer free parking as part of Manchester working together to help the city bounce back."
Vaughan Allen, chief executive of CityCo, Manchester’s city centre management company said: "Although we’ve bounced back quicker than anyone thought, footfall was still 20 per cent down last weekend indicating that people are still apprehensive about coming into the city centre. We can’t afford to have a repeat of that this weekend."
The free transport offer was welcomed by the boss of Manchester Arndale.
General manager Glen Barkworth said: "The initial idea of doing something that would embrace Manchester has evolved into three weeks of activity which has now been endorsed by all the relevant parties.
"This is really exciting to see and I urge all Mancunians to take up these offers of free parking and transport."
Visit www.xtrax.org.uk/platform4 for more details of this weekend’s Platform 4 events.
Free parking is only available during the specified times. Parking before or after those hours will still incur charges.
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Car Parking should be free every evening and Sunday, except for the looters of course !
Great idea, well done.
But surely if the argument goes that cutting parking and transport costs increases trade, then the opposite is true i.e. that the continued increase in parking fees from the Council is detramental to trade. Yet the Council deny this.
It makes sense, surely, to lower car parking charges permanently so as to make sure trade remains high and growing, and that the tax receipts from shoppers, businesses and the commensurate new jobs continue to flow. As it is the Council are pricing motorists out of the city centre every single day forever more (except the next three Thursdays).
Hang on, what about about the congestion this will cause. It was only the other week that the council were hiking up parking charges to 'combat congestion'.
Mixed messages.
so now thay want your custom,, not to long ago thay were greedy ,,when thay are confident thay have the trade back ,, thay wont give a toss,,,, bit like being beaten up every day and then the bully says ill give you a few days off this week ,, im not well ,,, and whispers when imm better it will start again,,,
Don't dare park on the city's streets though because the council are'nt that serious that they would suspend parking charges when they have so many parasite paking wardens to employ!!
Good idea. Because if there's one thing guaranteed to cause more riots it's when 500 people try to get on a tram that only holds 150.
If it turns up of course.
Still, credit where it's due for doing something positive. That Platform 4 event sounds pretty cool too.
It won't take much more like this before people acquire a habit of going elsewhere. Trafford Ctr/Liverpool One etc will become their default choice.
Trafford Centre Free Parking = Full All day every day , = loads of customers = higher rental agreements.
Paid parking = less customers = less turnover
Rochdale have free parking after 3 would be usefull but most of the shops are shutting down now so a bit late on the uptake really , should be free after 12
So, using the logic of the Council, there is a direct correlation between visitor numbers and the cost of parking eh? Sort of makes a mockery of the thinking behind their plans to increase parking fees and hours which they quite doggedly say, will have no bearing on people coming into the city centre. Right
They seem to manage in Italy.
"Metrolink is offering free travel between 10am-6pm on Sunday across the tram network.
The offer is available to groups of up to two adults and three children "
What about a couple without children, or single people.
One word for you "DISCRIMINATION"
"Metrolink is offering free travel between 10am-6pm on Sunday across the tram network.
The offer is available to groups of up to two adults and three children "
What about a couple without children, or single people.
One word for you "DISCRIMINATION"
Am I missing something here? Car Parking is free AFTER 4pm on Thursdays and between 6.30pm and 10.30pm on Saturday to get people back into the City Centre?
I though most people do their shopping before 4pm during the week and certainly before 6.30pm on Saturdays.
Is this just another gimmic by the Council to seem like they are helping the shoppers? It should be free parking from 6.30am until 12 midinght that would bring in the shoppers.
You are not making the tram pass very clear. Are you saying you will get free travel only if you are in a family group?
Hmmm if so thanks for nothing Metrolink! It is a dud offer to the rest of us who travel alone or in pairs. Why is it only families get this 'free' gift?
And the ticket checkers will be absent so more mayhem on the trams.
And try to get back from the cinema or theatre to the car before 10:30pm, Manchester you are a bad joke. Frankly I have always found Manchester City centre a detestable place, too much concrete and too many loud people
before the riots car parking charges were expanding, now out of the goodness of their hearts NCP are waiving charges, why the u turn?
not got the Council in their pockets have they?
Sounds good to me.
I just wish I could afford to live in a nice part of Manchester though. (Sigh.)
Buses?
Trains?
GMC obsessed with Metrolink?
Quote:
"The amount of shoppers in Manchester fell by 20 per cent last weekend due to the fear caused by looters who ransacked the city centre and Salford."
It stands to reason - if you came in for the riots and got kitted out - there is no need to buy owt for a good few weeks.
Stick it.
Manchester City Council made their chips very wet along time ago.
Who wants to go shopping after 4pm whatever day of the week it is.If the council wants people back in the city centre,lets have FREE parking after 0900hrs for a max stay of 3hrs.....NOW that would get the public in TOWN.
Parking is free all the time at the Trafford Centre, where I now get my hair done, rather than go into Manchester which I used to do. I used to have to drive to the metrokink station, was lucky to find a space. On the return journey when it was dark in the metro car park, I felt quite nervous. If raining, got soaked. Now, I can just park under cover at the Trafford Centre where I feel very safe. If I want variety I go to Cheshire Oaks, and Boundary Mill. Both free parking.
Manchester, and indeed Altrincham my nearest town, cannot compete with this.
Parking is free all the time at the Trafford Centre, where I now get my hair done, rather than go into Manchester which I used to do. I used to have to drive to the metrokink station, was lucky to find a space. On the return journey when it was dark in the metro car park, I felt quite nervous. If raining, got soaked. Now, I can just park under cover at the Trafford Centre where I feel very safe. If I want variety I go to Cheshire Oaks, and Boundary Mill. Both free parking.
Manchester, and indeed Altrincham my nearest town, cannot compete with this.
Glad to see most Mancs are not fooled by this false generority. Our parking is too expensive, our buses and trams are too expensive. The transport system in general in Manchester is a joke with all the different operators who just don't work together to provide a proper service.
If the council genuinely want to help the city centre and Mancunians in general, they need a complete rethink of the system.
They should start by deciding what their policies really are. Do they want the city centre to thrive? Do they want people to use more public transport?
At the moment public transport is uncoordinated and consequently very expensive. The bus companies should work together or lose their subsidies. The Metrolink should be better managed and there should links created between bus routes and Metrolink, with affordable inclusive tickets.
The parking in Manchester should be better cheaper and/or park and ride available from the perimeter of the city.
So.......a few hours free parking and 1 day free Metrolink just a crumb to this great city really!