Manchester Congestion Charge gets Government go ahead

[Skyline33]

Headlines in Manchester today were dominated by the news that Transport minister Ruth Kelly will approve a congestion charge scheme in the city. The announcement will be made in by Kelly in Parliament at the same time as an announcement is made at Rochdale Town Hall at 3.30pm.

The scheme will entail 2 charging cordons around the city with up to £5 payable for crossing both during peak hours.

A 12 week consultation process will commence almost soon after the announcement is made. There has been no information available as to what form that consultation will take but;

A GREATER MANCHESTER REFERENDUM HAS BEEN RULED OUT

I don't know about you lot but enough is enough, my ability to earn a living depends on my car and this government is trying to take that away from me and my family. I'm making cut backs already to pay for fuel, I've got massive hike in road tax to look forward to and now this.

Time to take a stand before its too late

[odyssey2200]

Not supprised really.

Was there a by election in Manchester recently?

This is just the thin end on the wedge IMHO

[CHIEF]

Nothing surprises me anymore - another way of fleecing and taxing the motorist. this will have a terrible effect for the economy of Manchester.

[shadowninja]

Petition!

[retrorider]

it hasn't worked in london so why manchester ? MONEY !

[Skyline33]

The fact remains that the campaign in Manchester is vital to the rest of the country. If the Manchester Con charge is defeated then the Government will have base from which to build a national congestion charge scheme. Bury Manchester's scheme and a £1.34 per mile national road pricing scheme dies with it.

That is something worth fighting for

[selwonk]

There were some local elections recently and the Labour Salford councillor most strongly in favour of the congestion charge lost his "safe" seat

[odyssey2200]

selwonk said:

There were some local elections recently and the Labour Salford councillor most strongly in favour of the congestion charge lost his "safe" seat

Thes is someone's ideal of Payback!

[Skyline33]

selwonk said:

There were some local elections recently and the Labour Salford councillor most strongly in favour of the congestion charge lost his "safe" seat

The Labour Councillor was Roger Jones who was head of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority and the main backer of the congestion charge in Manchester. He was defeated by the Community action Party supported by Manchester Against Road Tolls.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/ind...

Edited by Skyline33 on Saturday 7th June 23:57

[odyssey2200]

It could be that the application to run the CC zone was made before the local elections.

It has just taken until now for it to get the go ahead.
Hopefully, following Nu Laba getting their arses handed to them, it is no longer required.

[skymaster]

"Transport minister Ruth Kelly will approve a congestion charge scheme in the city"

Surprise, surprise... does anyone take this woman seriously?

It hasn't worked in London. Even Commy Ken felt the need to change the mantra from congestion to carbon reduction because it was so clear to anyone in London that congestion was still just as bad.

More anti car policies from Labour... they seem to be hammering more nails into their own coffin than anyone else is.

No doubt the 12 week consultation period will involve a sensitive ear for transport 2000, the CTC and various environMENTAL groups and doors slammed in the faces of local business and motoring groups.

[big_rob_sydney]

Lets see, £65m to run it, and revenues of £30m, meaning it actually COST the city of London £35m. With the added bonuses of no actual reduction in traffic as at today, and an increase in CO2.

Now THERES a smart move…

I mean, seriously, what in the hell is the world coming to??? Is there some form of corruption going on? This is about the only reason I can think of that a "scheme" like this can be forced through. Where is the money going?

[skymaster]

big_rob_sydney said:

Lets see, £65m to run it, and revenues of £30m, meaning it actually COST the city of London £35m. With the added bonuses of no actual reduction in traffic as at today, and an increase in CO2.

Now THERES a smart move…

I mean, seriously, what in the hell is the world coming to??? Is there some form of corruption going on? This is about the only reason I can think of that a "scheme" like this can be forced through. Where is the money going?

Indeed..... I did hear that when they implemented the london C charge that they opted for the most costly system of implementation. It seems they wanted to safeguard the possibility of anyone slipping through the net and get away without paying the charge.

The C charge has been a total disaster in London and I wish Boris would scrap the whole thing. I am sure by scrapping it, improving the light sequences, undoing some of the anti car mad road schemes and ripping up a few bus lanes he could ease congestion significantly.

[robinhood21]

Vote no to the CC Here

[smart51]

From what I heard, Manchester didn't really want a congestion zone but there's a lot of government money in it for them.

[selwonk]

Carrot and stick. We can have a "world class transport" system and the Government will pay for it ONLY if we agree to a CC

[derestrictor]

According to the Knight who sits at the top table in the City's council chamber, the mysterious "30% of households without access to a car" will benefit by everyone else taking yet another round of state theft up the arse due to said tax's beneficial impact upon "social mobility."

There's out of touch and then 'please kill me because I am a quonium' out of touch.

[Apache]

smart51 said:

From what I heard, Manchester didn't really want a congestion zone but there's a lot of government money in it for them.

That's how they do it though, bribary and lies, Brown only won the extended terrorism vote by buying off the DUP by letting them keep their £200 million water rates. The Govt are pushing building on Green Belt land by saying that 'carbon neutral' towns will offset the damage caused to the environment. Shysters the lot of em

[derestrictor]

Apache said:

Shysters the lot of em

As Alan "you're all banned" Beswick used to declare, "snakes in the grass."

[SEN 18]

Its no good they will have to bring back hanging,and start with the Government.