DENTON MP Andrew Gwynne has made an impassioned speech in the House of Commons about his fears about the congestion charge.

He told fellow MPs how his Denton and Reddish constituency was cut in two by the M60, the proposed outer charging zone.

This raised the possibility of residents being charged even for making short journeys within their town, he said.

“I have absolutely no answer to the young mum who came to my advice bureau recently. She lives in Audenshaw, one of the towns sliced in two by the M60, works in Ashton-under-Lyne, and travels away from the peak traffic flow in the morning and evening, so ordinarily would not be charged, but she has to drop her daughter off at a local private day nursery, which is in her community of Audenshaw and less than quarter of a mile from where she lives.

“Because it is on the opposite side of the M60, she would be charged £2 a day under the proposals. When she told me that that will not tackle congestion because she is not causing it, and that it will merely add £10 a week to her child care bill, I had no answer, and the Greater Manchester scheme has no acceptable answer either,” he told MPs.

Speaking after Tuesday’s debate, Mr Gwynne said Greater Manchester Transport Executive had not done enough to publicise the details of the plan.

“There are still a lot of my constituents who are under the impression they would be charged whatever time of the day and whatever direction they’re heading in,” he said.

The congestion charge needed to differentiate between local and commuter traffic and in some areas it could actually worsen traffic, he added.

“One of the worst accident blackspots is Stockport Road in Guide Bridge, which is why it was reduced to 20mph despite being a main road.

“Millions of pounds was spent to build the Lord Sheldon Way as a way of reducing traffic into Ashton but as it crosses the M60, drivers will go back to using Stockport Road – which doesn’t cross the M60 – to avoid paying. It’s absolutely crazy,” he said.

Ashton MP David Heyes also voiced his concerns during Tuesday’s debate.

He said: “Ashton-under-Lyne is dissected by the M60. Four of the wards in my constituency are on the inner side of the motorway, ringing Failsworth and Droylsden, and five wards are outside the ring, in Ashton-under-Lyne and Hollinwood.

“Many of my constituents have told me of their worries about the impact of the congestion charge as they move about their immediate localities.