Congestion Charge

Ms Kelly said that a congestion charge would operate during peak hours into and out of the city on weekdays with two charging rings around Manchester by 2013 - one at the M60, the other on the inner ring road.

Revenue from the scheme would help to pay the remaining costs towards public transport improvements. However, Ms Kelly made it clear that no charge would be introduced before the improvements were in place.

Plans also include:

• completion of the 'Big Bang' extension of the Metrolink system to Oldham, Ashton, Didsbury and Manchester Airport;
• a new rapid transport bus system;
• new railway carriages with safer, more comfortable railway stations;
• a new smart card that can be used on all forms of public transport;
• yellow school buses;
• park and ride facilities;
• new safe cycle routes

The plans will now go out to public consultation with transport analysts predicting that, if adopted, other cities in the country may follow suit.

But critics say the plans amount to a 'stealth tax' which will hit individuals and businesses in Manchester.

Your comments:

Chris in Withington

I work in South Manchester therefore (selfish for me to say) i will not be affected by congestion charge in a negative sense. Socially I love the city centre but hate having to jump on a generally dingy bus or pay for an expensive taxi. When the extension for the Metrolink is completed i will be within metres of the new service and minutes from the city centre. Fantastic! Can't wait! And the Smart card is a great idea....lets bring a 1st class service with the potential of second class charges!!

Graham in Knutsford

The plans ignore the regional status of Manchester City Centre. Many people work and socialise in Manchester city centre but live in Northwich. The Chester to Manchester Piccadilly rail service is one of the most used but under resourced rail links in the region. Why not include that service in any improvements. After all it is the commuters from Northwich and other places enroute to the city who have to rely on their cars who are going to be the ones to bear the brunt of the proposed charges but with no obvious enhancement to public transport. Incidently if there is to be an Metrolink Extension to The Trafford Centre I think the cost should be borne by the owners, Peel Holdings, who single handedly have been responsible for thousands of car journeys.

Bob Morton in Stretford

I am retired and live in Stretford about half a mile inside the outer ring. This will mean if I understand things correctly, that if I want to visit my family in Urmston in the evening between 4 and 6.30pm, I will be charged for the privilege. Also what happened to the vote taken by some of GT M/C councils to oppose any congestion charge. Has this now been steamrollered by Whitehall?

Mark Hesketh in Wigan

Never mind Manchester! They're sneaking this in under a cloud of confusion with a major part of Greater Manchester having NO SAY whatsoever! The Road Transport Industry, the lifeblood of the nation are still non the wiser as to whether HGV's will be charged or not. GMPTE haven't given anyone an answer on that! Yet another tax on top of the tax we already have to pay to use the roads which we have already paid for and paid to use. Public transport is impractical for many, including myself. I live on an A road, a major route into Wigan and work within a 5 minute walk of the town centre. I start work at 7am but can't get a bus early enough to get me to work on time. It's cheaper and more convenient to keep my motorbike on the road than to use the bus, £350 a year cheaper. Where's my incentive?

Helen in Audenshaw

I live in Audenshaw on the Denton side, I will not benefit from the Metrolink as it will be on the Droylsden side. We have no help with congestion in Denton at Crown Point - whoever thought up putting Morrisons where it is should be shot as it causes no end of traffic queues. Sort out 'public' transport FIRST then bring in the CON-charge as this is what it is a con. We have paid enough in road tax to fund decent transport - where is it?

TG in Stockport

I live just inside the ring road but travel out to and around it to get to work which is also just inside the ring road but at the opposite side of Manchester. It is therefore possible to avoid the charge by using smaller local routes within the two charging rings. If people start doing this to avoid charges then many internal roads are going to in effect become even more congested. This situation is only exagerated when combined with the traffic calming schemes that have been put into place across the majority of Manchester's roads resulting in a lot of the congestion we already see. Maybe we need to see shifts in our culture and look in time at moving away from core business hours for certain types of business and becoming more flexible alowing a more even flow of workers and not a bottle neck at the start and end of every week day

Christopher Martin in Middleton

The tram extension is not really extensive enough to actually be of any use to the majority of people in Greater Manchester. I live in Middleton, which doesn't appear to benefit from anything on the transport map. The Tube in London works because of how extensive it is. The trams in Manchester just skirt around the periphery. This is a badly thought out plan that leaves too many areas with poor public transport. I am not convinced that Middleton, in particular, will benefit at all from this scheme.

Mat Nichol in Hamburg, Germany

It's a great idea but it's no good getting off a Metrolink that goes every 6 minutes only to have to wait half an hour for the train or bus to your end destination. The different systems will have to be improved dramatically before people use them instead of the convenience of their own car. A congestion charge will just make travelling to work more expensive. I'm lucky enough to now live in a city with a properly integrated transport system although I had to move to Germany to find it!

Graham in Oldham

Before I learned to drive I had to get the bus everyday to travel to work near Manchester airport from my home in Oldham. Although I am relieved to see another alternative to the total 4 hours a day total commuting time daily on the bus and the ever increasing traffic on the M60 I'm not holding my breath. Looks like it could be at least two changes on the Metrolink to complete the same journey

Andrew Parkhouse in Euxton, Nr Chorley

These schemes are fine in principle, but like the majority of city developments, they really only benefit those who live within a couple of miles radius. So if you have a executive flat/apartment in the centre of Manchester, you have access to all the amenities that frequently are funded by rate payers etc. from outside the city. I live in Euxton near Chorley, and looking at the proposed new routes etc, nothing will change for me or those living in this area. The only change I can see, are proposed station improvements, and no doubt will be scaled down as the time approaches, and the cost of the scheme will have tripled in size. I am against this scheme as it offers little if any improvement to those living to the north west of Manchester, and for a family member in my household would add around £1200 per annum, which is in effect a pay cut.

Bob Stapley in Urmston

Interesting! Looked at the map & proposals, there seems to be at least 4 Park & Ride sites which will be INSIDE the outer charge ring. Does this mean they plan to tax you £3 per day per day just to cross into the outer zone so you can park your car and then use the vastly improved public transport!!! What is the point of Park & Ride sites that are inside any of the charge zones. OH, sorry I forgot!! they can raise more money by doing that.

Gary in Irlam

Absolute rip off. Metro needs to be implemented before it goes ahead. I live in Irlam and if im to pay congestion charge I want the metro running into Irlam. What about all the businesses. I certainly wont be shopping at the Trafford Centre or Manchester Arndale. Ill be forced to spend my money outside the city. Very worrying

Paul in Urmston

When I have used the Metrolink to get to work in the city centre, I first take a bus to Stretford, then walk to the station. Many times I have bought a ticket at 9am (at an increased fare) at Stretford station. Then, watch four or five trams packed like sardines stop. No one can get on, and then sometime after 9:30 am, I can finally get on a tram. This is the situation at the moment. Im really looking forward to the improvements when the congestion charge kicks in.

Carl in Tyldesley

Another tax on top of other taxes. Yet again the transport makes the same mistakes. All of the improvements are geared at getting people into the city center. What if you need to around the center or to a different part of the congestion zone other than the city center. In over 20 years of working I have had one job that required travel into the center. The majority have required across zone travelling which is and will remain to be very difficult via public transport. In London this less of a problem as the tube has circular lines as well as lines that go into the center. So I am not sure how the so called improvements will make a great difference to congestion.

B. Parsons in Swinton

I have no problem with the idea, because we have to do something. I can use the bus, however I would much rather use the train. The only problem is that we only have one an hour that actually stops at my local stations (Moorside/Swinton). There are one or two extra early morning and evening, but not enough to make it worth while getting a return ticket unless your work times coincide with the train timetable. Plenty trains go through, so why can't more of them stop?

Nikky Hudson in Middleton

Absolutely not. My nearest park and ride is over a mile away with a pathetically small amount of parking spaces. With no metro-link extension planned for my area (Middleton), where will people from here see the benefit? Simply put, we wont. We will have to pay like the rest though. There must be lots of other areas where this applies too.

Rob in Urmston

So the Metro link will be extended to The Trafford Centre but in order to get there you have to pass the external ring road. Who thought this one up? Its utter ridiculous and vast amounts of local businesses in Trafford Park will fold due to staff, visitors, deliveries etc all having to pay. Nearly everyone I speak to is plainly against it but why do the people who make these ridiculous decisions never listen to what the public want.

Kevin Stoner in Walkden

It's about time Salford City Council got off there backsides and started to fight for the Metro to be put down the East Lancs (A580) Instead of some Cheap, SO CALLED RAPID BUS LANE. We in walkden and around Leigh and the north of Eccles have no decent transport Service!!!!!!!!  ITS  ABOUT TIME WE DID.

IK in Ramsbottom

What about the major commuter trap called the M66? Thousands of people commute along this route into Manchester on a daily basis, the tram service that exists is already in place from Bury and has been for a number of years with no improvement in Traffic volumes according to the plans there will no further extensions of the service from Bury so those who travel from Ramsbottom, Rawtenstall and Haslingden are going to be no better off in terms of travel convenience but a lot worse off due to proposed additional charges.

Andy in Manchester

It's all well and good extending the range of services like the metro, but how about extending the times of operation?  Some of us would gladly use it to get to and from work when it comes closer to home, but it only caters for people working core day time hours. There's no need to bully people off the road with a congestion charge, just improve the times that these public transport services run and you'll get more people on them.

Una Gillham in Little Hulton

I live in the Little Hulton area which again according to map will continue be a public transport 'wasteland', we currently have 1 service that operates during peak times, the no.36.  Why doesn't the East Lancs become a metrolink line?

Matthew in Blackpool

Ridiculous, sums the scheme up. My partner uses the Eccles Park & Ride scheme situated at Ladywell tram stop. Guess what, this is within the outer zone, so by doing her bit (ie park & ride), she'll be charged an additional £3 a day ! The same will go for the Trafford centres proposed park and ride scheme !

Tracey Oliver in Tyldesley

I live in Tyldesley and work in Trafford Park. To use public transport I would have to travel by bus all the way into Manchester city Centre then catch bus from the Centre to Trafford Park. I did this once when my car was off the road and it took me over 2 hours to get to work.

Richard Porter in Stockport

I would gladly get a bus in to work but my bus service is a shambles it does not operate till 07:00 I am at work at 06:00 each day in the winter or when the engineers do a sicky they always take the drivers off my estate and I am always getting in trouble with work if I use this bus service I am all up for the congestion charge but only in Manchester town centre don't you think our council tax and fuel are high them muppets (government) should take a pay cut and see how much average joe earns then they can decide about the congestion charges £5 to us is a lot £5 to them is change.

Paul Bayliss in Altrincham

I cycle to work presently, they should have safe cycle routes in now, not have to wait until a new tax system is in place. Will the public be involved in any of the planning?

Laura in Warrington

Its another way of taxing ordinary people who are trying to earn a living.  I totally disagree with this.  Are we not taxed enough already?  With ever increasing fuel costs & car tax, I have to wonder will I be able to afford to work in the future? It is totally impractical for me to get public transport into Manchester.  I live in Warrington, which would mean a bus journey from home to the train station, a train journey into Manchester and then a tram journey to Crumpsall.  This would mean that my 40 minute car journey to work would increase to anywhere between 1 1/2 to 2 hours!

Stuart in Gatley

The changes to public transport need to be complimentary to other changes.  It is not just more carriages but the frequency of services.  Given the felxible working arrangements many employers now offer i would want train and bus services to be available from 6.00am with no longer than a10 min gap between services.  The extension to the Tram service should not go ahead if it prevents the improvment of these basic services.  Additionaly how are people expected to get to the tram stops - park and ride by definition still puts cars on the road, lets move to soultions that enable people to walk/cycle to public transport stops. Yellow school buses - i agree these are better than numerous individual car journeys but for what age of pupil.  The main problem is the laziness of parents.  Enforce a no-parking zone around schools or make them pedstrian only so that children are safe and parents do not see any advantage to using the car.

Neil in Salford

I think it is a great idea and am really looking forward for this to happen. This will really put Manchester on the world stage, having a world class transport system is only a good thing. It will encourage further inward investment, cleaner pollution, cut crime with the smart card system and start devolution down from central government to the city region. By the way i am a car owner and user so it will effect me directly. There my be the odd time i can use public transport then and not the car. Plus with petrol prices going through the roof using public transport would look more appealing especially in 2013.

N in Stockport

Is is my imagination or is the Trafford Centre inside the zone?  They build a huge out of town shopping centre that encourages millions of car journeys because the only realistic way to travel there is by car! AND just how do you get the shopping home on a crowded bus/tram, especially if you need to change several times as I would and you have children to watch as well!?  This is just another revenue generating exercise by those in charge - fuel duty is the fairest way to pay for the evironmental damage cars cause (if that is the real reason for it which I suspect it is not!!) the more you drive (or sit in a jam!) the more you use and the more you pay.  Let the goverment use a realistic amount of fuel duty to pay for their green adjenda and at least be up-front about what we are taxed for and how it is used.

David Mason in Denton

Our town is Denton. I have yet to find it at all on the transport map of Manchester. There are only 35000 people who live there so we probably don't count. Our votes will though! We have such good transport links that the council can afford to narrow the roads, put in cycle lanes for non-existent cyclists and 24hr bus only lanes for buses that only run every 6mins at peak times. No wonder the roads are congested. This is a deliberate policy by local and national govt. For years they have neglected public transport, or in Manchester's case, withdrawn funding for transport schemes. now the people of Manchester are going to be lent billions of pounds which we will have to pay back, in order that we can be conned into thinking we are being given something by govt. Smoke, mirrors and downright lies!

Neil in Stockport

It does not take a genius to realise that major arterial roads into Manchester are restricted by short lengths of bus lane, pavement widening, unnecessary road markings, traffic light timings, failure to address long standing bottle necks. This all adds to forcing cars into single file into the city. Road planning to alleviate congestion has gone out of the window. All to justify a new road charge tax. These charges once in place will be increased at the whim of the local authority. The extra tax burden for motorists will come out of already taxed income. This is a rich country , I personally pay lots of tax, car and PAYE - lets see improvements for public transport from the public purse. There has been no mention of the charges on the new trains, buses supposedly being provided .Will these be reduced?