C-charge consultation begins

Reporter: Jan Harwood
Date online: 08/07/2008

Rochdale residents and businesses will receive brochures detailing the proposed congestion charge for Greater Manchester this week.

£3billion of public transport investments in Greater Manchester is dependent on the introduction of a road charge in the city being introduced by 2013.

The congestion charge scheme, which, in its current format, would charge motorists who crossed a ring round the city boundary and a second ring in the city centre, will cost £318million to set up.

Campaign group Manchester Against Road Tolls have reservations about the proposed cost. A spokesman said: "It is suggested that the tolls will "only" cost £30 million a year to collect and enforce.

"The London Transport accounts show that for the year to March 2007, their "congestion charge" cost £163.3 million to collect income of £252.4 million. The London "congestion charge" scheme covers a very small area in the centre of London while phase one of the Manchester scheme goes out to the M60.

"The London scheme also affects fewer vehicles and has a simpler flat fee of £8 rather than Manchester's proposed twin cordon system for phase one. It is highly unlikely that a Manchester scheme could be run for less than 20 per cent of the cost of the London scheme."