say NO to paying £2080 a year to travel to work

[pault123]

As expected, the government gave the go-ahead for Manchester to introduce a congestion charge without a referendum.

The scheme initially had to be approved by 10 of manchesters councils, only 7 approved so they changed the rules and rail-roaded it through.

Based on inflation at a predicted cost of £8 a day to drive into and out of manchester this needs stopping in its tracks. £2080 a year on top of already insane fuel costs and driving costs is a big pay cut! (not even taking into account spiralling living costs)


There is one final consultation before the scheme goes ahead - If its anything like the first consulation it will be a VERY small survey group and full of loaded questions - trying to hide the fact its a £3billion grant of which most of it is a loan manchester will pay back through increased public transport prices, increased council tax and the £8 a day CONgestion charge.


This will kill manchester and every other city when they follow suite


Sign the petition here

http://www.stopthecharge.co.uk/index.php


Thanks Paul :beer:

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

If Bolton says no, the scheme will be dead.

[dmg24]

Get the bus or tram? It's not like Manchester has poor public transport links.

[Tojo Ralph]

I heard Richard Leese the leader of Manchester City Council talking on TV and it all washed over me..... Accept for his claim that ... "30% of Greater Manchester households don't have access to a car at all" ... and to be honest, I'd like to see where he got his facts from?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7442725.stm

[Tojo Ralph]

....
On the subject of congestion charges, it's not a case of "if" for major cities, but when and if it's good enough for London, it's good enough for Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, etc. :)

[banger9365]

Get the bus or tram? It's not like Manchester has poor public transport links.
is all fine and good put should we and why should we pay more tax and what happens when it comes to a town/city that do's not have good bus routes and trams.
oh yes i travel into manchester twice aday and nver see a tram in harphuey,lonsight,eastlands ,hulme,ect and there with in the m60

the car driver is getting it again and again it time we all put a stop to this

[Conor]

I drive around Manchester in my work as a lorry driver. Since 1995 the queues on the M60/M62 have been starting further back, earlier than before and lasting longer. In 1995, heading westbound, I'd expect the queues to start around J18 of the M62 around 7.30am and be done with by 9.30. Nowadays, traffic is slowing down before J21 starting around 7am and on my return journey around 11am, its still crawling from J18. Heading East from Liverpool, you're basically travelling at walking speeds from Warrington to Manchester once it hits 8am.

The slightest incident from J15 to J12 and its crawling from J18 all the way through the day to the end of the rush hour around 7pm that night so its possible to have crawling traffic for 12 hours a day.

Something has to be done because it can't keep on like this and it's mostly single occupancy cars which are the issue.

[pault123]

Public transport is terrible in Manchester. London has the underground which takes a LOT of footflow off the roads.

If manc council removed all the bus lanes which have been shown to make no difference to bus journey times - that would give double the road space on major routes.

Traffic light sequences have been set very badly and cause needless tailbacks.

Traffic calming or "engineered congestion" as a lot of drivers see it has ruined a lot of freeflowing roads and junctions.

When the kids are off school the roads are empty, and journey times more than halved - simply increasing the number of yellow school buses would suffice.

All of the above would cost no where close to £3 BILLION! :mad:

and could be done without spanking motorists for another two grand a year!

[Markyt]

Get the bus or tram? It's not like Manchester has poor public transport links.

The links are fine, it has both road and railways.

Getting some sort of half decent public service to run on either of them though has, so far, eluded the council.

[Markyt]

The £3 billion they want to raise for public transport could be more than raised by selling off their share of Manchester Airport. They don't like that suggestion though, as it is sensible.

[wdyw]

The £3 billion they want to raise for public transport could be more than raised by selling off their share of Manchester Airport. They don't like that suggestion though, as it is sensible.

Talking of Manchester Airport and I know these figures are now well out of date.
Based on a Load factor of 70%

Cost to land a 747 at Manchester $8157
Cost to land a 747 at Heathrow at peak time $6477

Back in the early 90's Manchester was the most expensive airport in the world to land at!

So, all the council are doing is making all transport costs in the region world leading......

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

Get the bus or tram? It's not like Manchester has poor public transport links.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

[Conor]

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Come to East Yorkshire and you'll see just exactly what poor PT is.

[Dime Bar]

I don't understand why anyone would drive into manchester at peak hours at all. With the bus\train\tram links its easy from pretty much anywhere within greater manchester.

Remember that these charges are only for peak times so will not affect a large amount of people who dont work 9-5 roughly.

[pault123]

most people I know who work in manchester travel from the outskirts and a 10-15 minute car journey becomes a 2-3 bus 1 hour ordeal.

Public transport just isn't safe, puntual, clean or fast enough - hence the reason so many people do drive into manchester everyday.