Manchester's transport plan was designed to tap into a £2.7 billion pot of gold called the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF).
However, the government's TIF money was conditional on Manchester introducing a carrot and stick approach: the ‘carrot’ of public transport investment, in return for the ‘stick’ of congestion charge to encourage people to drive less.
NO campaigners celebrate
But the clear 4 to 1 vote against by Greater Manchester voters [812,815 (79%) voted NO and 218,860 (21%) voted YES] has left the scheme in tatters.
And with no plan B, transport bosses say they’re going back to the drawing board.
Have Your Say
So what now? What most people seem to agree on is better, public transport to tackle the city’s congestion problems – but not at the cost of a C-charge.
So how can that be achieved? A smaller Manchester-only inner ring congestion scheme? Re-regulation of the buses? Stagger the school run?
What do you think we should do to tackle rising traffic congestion on our roads?
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Your comments
Mat N in Hamburg
I think part of the solution is, as other people have mentioned, to get businesses out of the city centre. Also, improving the network of public transport would alter things. The price of public transport in the UK is far too high. Government subsidies would help this as it does in other countries. People aren't prepared to pay a high ticket price and then use a poorly operated system. I now live in Hamburg and the transport system is so good that you could easily live here without a car. Lessons to be learnt from other countries, I think.
John, 63 from Poynton
Employ some designers to look at road layout and design out pinch-points. Introduce Red Routes with no parking on major arteries at key times. Remove parking bays and chicanes and other obstructions to traffic flow. Look again at unfairly/unreasonably placed bus-lanes and bus stops that restrict the carriageway. Computerise traffic lights to work in sequence and sense approaching traffic. Make adequate provision for car parking so that congestion is not caused while motorists search for a space. Remove cameras and employ more traffic cops. Take a realistic view of the motor car as a): the bringer of prosperity and b): a modern, independent mode of transport that no-one will give up readily. Incentivise motorists to park on the outskirts of the city with cheaper parking and park and ride. Oh, and then improve public transport and get that dangerous Metrolink tram off the city streets. When a collision occurs with a pedestrian or a bus or a car the whole network closes down and it takes hours to sort it out. Deregulate the buses and introduce tracked buses in central reservations on dual carriageways like they have in Australia. Consider hybrid diesel/electric public service vehicles that can use both track and roadways like they have in Germany.
Lee Cooper, 32, from Manchester
It makes me laugh, they want you to use Public Transport and pay through the nose for it too. My partner gets the 22 bus from Swinton to Stretford as its the only method available, then has to walk to Chorlton to work, now they are stopping the 22 route from April so how else do we get her to work if they don't want you using a car - by magic carpet?
Lou, 35 from Irlam
Traffic from Woolston to Eccles along Cadishead Way and the Barton Stetch is terrible. I know it would cost money but they should think about building a smaller bridge across the canal somewhere between the M6 and M60. Possibly from Irlam across to Flixton so at least people could take a back route to places such as Urmston, Stretford etc.
B J Nicholson, 63 from Crumpsall
What congestion? Manchester has recorded a 14% drop in the last decade.
James, 20 from Stockport
Why is it always the motorist that gets whacked with fees for this that and the other.. surely its not the motorists fault they need to get places....the best solution is to scrap bus lanes as they waste a valuable lane during rush hour causing a bottleneck in just one lane!
Mark, 27 from Bolton
The main issue affecting transport in Manchester is the bottleneck on the railway starting at Piccadilly and heading towards Deansgate. There's just too many trains trying to get down there as well as freight so it's no wonder there are so many delays there. The whole section needs widening and Oxford Road needs a massive remodelling done to it - expensive I know, but necessary.
Gus, 27 from Manchester
The original proposal was poorly prepared and lazy. Who ever thought creating the World's largest congestion zone - covering most of Gtr Manchester - was a good idea? The whole campaign was a total waste of taxpayers' money. If it is ever going to work it needs to be much smaller area and in a centralised location. After all, it is the traffic travelling in to and out of the city centre which is causing the congestion we are told.
Stephen Murphy, 49 from Urmston
The money that was to be used is tax payers' money and should be available without strings and be in place to make cycling and public transport available to all in a more attractive and effective way. I have just returned from Bonn, Germany, it isn't a problem there. I try to cycle to work when I can from Urmston to Timperley across the meadows, but the condition of so called pathways is often waterlogged extremely muddy and therefore to most people very unattractive, or indeed impossible to use. I am sure that I, like others, would use it much more if councils would pay more attention to there areas of beauty. Even after contacting Trafford council they didn't reply. We all need to work on our councils to put up more of a fight for the people they are suppose to be representing.
J Moss, 50 from Salford
Instead of having the congestion charge from the 'outer ring' it would have worked better in the 'inner ring'. If someone works in Salford, under the present proposal, it would not work.
H Remeika, 29 in Trafford
Re-regulate the buses - it seems some routes like Oxford Rd are heavily subsidised whilst other routes are over priced. People felt held over a barrel which is why it didn't go through - but the biggest issue is people coming in on the M60 outer ring not the inner ring road so to get back business support it looks like people wont pay to come into the outer ring road!
Peter Beese, 31 from Stockport
Allow motorcycles to use bus lanes and cars with car share status transporting three or more people. Make tax for all motorcycles free as these vehicles are congestion free and super economical. Improve local branch rail lines with more rail coaches at peak times and provide space for bicycles on board as was available with the goods cars. Provide more parking at stations. Possibly introduce a congestion charge to the very centre of Manchester. Change the school opening times to later in the day or earlier in the morning.
Roger Bowden, 53 from Ramsbottom
The No campaign was supported by fed-up motorists who feel that they are already taxed to the hilt with insurance tax, fuel tax, road fund licence etc and get nothing in return. Let all the groups concerned get together and come up with a proposal that actively encourages motorists out of their cars and onto public transport without penalising them for using their cars. In most cases people's objections will be based around public transport's lack of reliability, lack of cleanliness, lack of security and lack of availability. The congestion charge and the notion of enticing/forcing people to use public transport has absolutely no chance while we allow public transport to deteriorate in the manner we have done over the past 20+ years. I would use public transport to support the environment, to save money, to ease the wear and tear on my not so young vehicle if I could use a clean, safe, convenient and reliable alternative. However, my own journey into Trafford Park from Ramsbottom would take two hours in the morning involving three modes of transport and a number of waits for the next tram or bus. Contrast that with a 30-40 minute journey under normal traffic conditions, (15-20 mins if the roads are clear) a safe and comfortable environment and door to door convenience, and the fact that the return journey is not available at the time I leave work (5.30pm). The challenge is there for all to see, but it is a challenge that is not insurmountable.
Nick, 49 from Manchester
A return of local amenities so that people don't have to travel miles just to get to the cinema etc. Relocate businesses out of city centres. More cycle/bus lanes.
Steve, 37 from Middleton
Shouldn't have wasted £30 million on trying to get people to vote for something they clearly didn't want. 30 million gone to waste. wish i worked at PP2 with budgets like that.
