Well said Deanna - this is a bad idea that will destroy Manchester, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and quite possibly the local economy as well. GMPTE and it's pompous chairman should hang their heads in shame for selling Manchester out to the pro-tolls lobby. We can all make a difference though - by seeing who is in favour of this proposal amongst councillors and VOTING THEM OUT OF OFFICE!

Spot on Deanna. You are speaking for the sensible masses. Pity the authorities will either ignore you, or just be completely flummoxed and confused, so again they will just ignore you.

I agree. If people are priced out of manchester city centre they will go elsewhere the charges aren't. Silly!

"And as for the bus, I've heard more than enough horror stories of anti social behaviour and low-level yobbery to put myself through the daily ordeal of the weary bus commuter."

Poor Deanna clearly hasn't ever set foot on a bus - maybe if she gave it a try (she doesn't seem to proffer any good reasons as to why she shouldn't) she find these 'horror' stories to be a myth, and perhaps stop reporting so irresponsibly? Just a thought.

I do agree with what she says, including the part about the buses. By her description, Ben of Manchester, I think she HAS been on a bus, probably one in Salford, as there seems always to be some low level yobbery, usually by a drunken 16 year old, whose vocabulary is no more than a lot of 4 letter words. The only thing I believe that will occur with congestion charging is what she predicts, it will only be afforded by people on good incomes, driving Chelsea tractors. The Hoi Polloi will slum it on the buses, Metro and on the trains, making driving the elite pastime again that it was in the 1920s and 30s.

I totally agree, I've worked in Manchester for 5 years, but have recently moved jobs and now work in Knowsley Liverpool, and because I live in Leigh, Lancashire, you may think that these charges therefore dont effect me anymore because I dont have to travel to Manchester any more, but you you'd be quite wrong, and that's for 3 reasons, firstly I know how hard the roads are to travel to Manchester and in my last 5 years I have had to find numerous (probably dozens)routes to avoid closed motorways and clogged up main routs through the city, and totally agree with the fact that imposing restrictions will just shift the problem to untolled roads. Secondly looking at the restriction map, I'm going to get charged for driving from Leigh down the east Lancashire road to Liverpool - I'll be going against the Manchester traffic, but will still be getting charged, and what annoys me most about this route and some of the other routes highlighted, is that there is not other means of public transport available, Leigh does not have a train station, it does have a bus station, but other than Wigan, Bolton and Warrington, the only place I can get to on bus is the Trafford centre, and this is aimed at shoppers and not people who work there and need to arrive before they open. My Third reason for objection is that this wont stop at Manchester, this is all part of the national plan to get Britain Taxed off the roads, which city or town will be next, This needs to stop now before its too late and the whole country is covered in toll roads, and we'll have to have devises fitted to our cars that tax every mile we travel via GPS satellites, all while still paying the A#160+ road tax, and ridiculous fuel tax amounts.

what can we do to stop this happening, firstly we need to vote out the politicians that support the congestion charges, at a local and national level. I heard some Transport exec say on the radio "what are we supposed to do, wait until Manchester comes to a gridlock", well my answer to that its simple, improve the public transport, at the moment its ridiculous, doesn't run on time, over crowded at peak times as it is, and I'm not just talking about the metro. business's need to shout NO to this too, especially the smaller, the louder you need to shout, its you who will feel the pinch first especially if your on one of the congestion routes. if you employ large numbers of staff, you need to introduce staggered start times, encourage people to work 7 till 3 or 11 till 7, thus reducing the 9 till 5 traffic your business produces by 2 thirds. and remember if you think the Manchester congestion charges dont effect you, they will its just a matter of time, so help stop this now

ACT NOW!!!

This is fantastic news for the wealthy, now they wont have to suffer the indignity of being stuck in traffic jams with the peasants. Do you really believe that anyone who has spent 40K on a flash car and the insurance to run it is going to leave it at home and queue in the rain for an over crowded bus just to save 6 pound a day, not likely. The roads into at peak times Manchester will be the preserve of the rich and those on benefits who qualify for financial assistance. Whereas the average worker is going to be left in the hands of an overcrowded and unreliable public transport system.

Fair enough, people say no to congestion charges because it means paying money for neary nothing in return. BUT - why to people have o pay for going about their day to day lives? I agree that public transport isnt safe and that using small, economical cars is good. But why do the government thnk that taking money from citizens and telling us we are getting something back is good (Metrolink)?
My father in law works in the centre but the metrolink ould be of no use to him so effectively he would be paying money for nothing.
I deliver to the city centre and now will have to charge for delivery because the government got greedy. I could lose this customer as I simply cant deliver print orders by metrolink.

Maybe its time the people behind 'new labour' met the british people and asked us how to run the country because we have a better idea.

Big brother nation - bunch of idiots.

all of us who feel strongly against this charge have the perfect opportunity to make their feeling known by not voting labour in the council elections in may. its no good waiting until its all cut and dried before protesting.
the complacent councils need a shock, they are acting as a dictatorship not a democratically elected body.
also spread the word how far this charge will stretch geographically I have spoken to someone today who thinks it will stop at the edge of the city rather than almost to the moors on each boundary

i uesed to get the train to manchester.every train was late and jeperdised my job ...
then i used the bus which were more reliable but pretty scary .

THE TOLL TAX, just say NO!

Ive had enough of this **** Im emmigrating to Australia as soon as possible, where public transport is decent and reliable. and congestion charging doesn't exist!!!!
Who can afford to live here, you have to pay an hours pay out before you even get to work.

this is a bad idea that will destroy Manchester, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and quite possibly the local economy as well. We can all make a difference though - by seeing who is in favour of this proposal amongst councillors and VOTING THEM OUT OF OFFICE!

Stop Moaning and use your vote in the next local elections, remember you and others voted these silly labour councillors in. Now you have the chance to change things.

I wish you luck in Australia, Anon, Mcr, but dont be suprised when you have to pay 45% income taxThats at the lower rate, and higher local taxes than those in the UK. Pay is lower than in the UK also. The cost of housing and food may be cheeper, but many things like white goods are a lot more expensive. Its swings and roundabouts, the sun makes it feel better though! I lived there for 20 years before returning to my home country. Dont believe all you hear, Britain has lots going for it and is a great place to live!

Good people of Greater Manchester I implore you not to lie down and just moan about this atrocious attack on our civil liberties without a fight regarding this abominable charge but to do something positive and vote the perpetrators and supporters of this insane proposal out of office and power before it's implemented upon us. The power is in your hands so get off your backsides and use your vote to rid our corridors of power of the perpetrators of this tax on our freedom to travel this land freely. The pen is mightier than the sword so place your X's carefully on your voting papers.

Everywhere is looking to clobber the motorist and new labour , whether government or town hall has waged war on them continuously since 1997. The good news is that in local elections it does not take too many votes to get rid of a councillor and motorists should get active and find out which is the most prominently placed ant--toll road candidate and unite behind him or her . Tactical voting .
London has congestion charging and its now £8 a day. The sky is the limit for Ken Livingstone and the same will be true in Manchester unless Mancs and Lancastrians MAKE the councillors listen to them . I like public transport and use it a lot , but it is too expensive and often does not go where I want to and councils like Manchester and London only want me to go where they will LET me go.
Say No - Vote 'Em Out

Have just had reply from Tony B re pettition I signed about road charging-he says "Pricing is not being forced on any area" so how come M/c Is saying if we don't do it effectivley the Govt won't fund the metrolink etc ? Who is kidding who ?

Clive, here's a prominent supporter of the Congestion Charge to target at the polls.
Councillor Roger Jones is in charge of the GMPTA this man has presided over the failing public transport system of Greater Manchester for years. He only aspires to this role through being an elected Labour councillor of the little known Irlam district of Salford with just 1,073 people voting for him and just 394 votes above the Conservative candidate with only 32% of the vote being cast. This man has presided over the near derelict public transport system of Greater Manchester for to long and should be replaced with a professional man at the helm. The next council elections for Roger Jones is 2008 so get off your backsides voters of Irlam and get this man out. With congestion charging and rocketing public transport fares out of control the mans record speaks for itself. The information about this man is freely available from Salford City Council website.