Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

Hear hear to that, you've almost got my vote. ;)

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

Amazing how many companies still have the 'Victorian Workhouse' mentality in this day and age. I went for an interview the other week and one of the things that came out was the MD actually goes round the office at 5.20pm to make sure nobody has sneaked off early. I was asked if I was interested in the position, I declined :rolleyes:

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

Living most of the time in London (inside the congestion zone) I can vouch for the fact that the congestion charge has done nothing to ease traffic. All it has been is a money raiser. It's no good making driving into work more difficult and more expensive unless you make public transport better FIRST. This hasn't happened - all that Ken gave us were bendy-buses, which are a disaster for many reasons. I gave up my car in London when the congestion charge would have pushed my annual car bill up to nearly £1,000 BEFORE I put any petrol in the darn thing. Interesting point - if you live inside the congestion zone, you have to pay to LEAVE it - also if you move your car from one parking space to another. The bottom line is that it is a way of raising revenue - hit the motorist, easy target, since public transport hasn't got any better since the congestion charge and traffic certainly has not become lighter.

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

By the way, Yvonne hasn't moved, previous post committed by Pendy in disguise!

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

The conjestion charge plans have been altered in the face of strong opposition and include a charge reduction. See detail here-
BBC NEWS | England | Manchester | Changes to city's congestion plan

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

I was in Manchester a few days ago. The traffic congestion was far worse than at a similar time in central London. The best thing that Red Ken ever did was the introduction of the charge. The reason he went for bendy buses was simply EU legislation which aims to phase out the double decker, so we can't blame him for that. Anyway, if Manchester (or Liverpool or Blackburn) rejects the charge then it simply shows how backward looking these places (and their populace) are.

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

the simple fact of the matter is Tealeaf, if ya ballot the public asking DO YOU want to pay MORE MONEY, who in there right mind will say - YEH OK.:rolleyes:

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

So Manchester said 'No' .. how shortsighted is this !!

Manchester economy is growing and will continue to grow. At the same time, the population of Greater Manchester is on the increase .. this means the demand for trips into central Manchester will inevitably grow with the economy !

Currently movement into the centre is constrained by limited available road space meaning that more efficient ways of managing travel demand and moving people into the centre are required. The duel approach of charging people for inefficient use of this road space (congestion charging) whilst vastly improving more efficient options (public transport) will secure the means necessary to support this growing ecomony.

Potentially, the money that was available to GM will be now diverted into alternative schemes i.e. to shore up the massive deficit in the budget for the Oympic Games !!!!

What an opportunity they have missed .. these will be the grumpy gits who will be complaining in 10 years time about taking an hour to get from the M60 to the centre, and carrying around their oxygen cylinder, through asthma contracted through carbon monoxide emissions, trying to find a decent transport route into the centre.

Money will have to be found now if their transport system has to be improved, so will have to watch out for heavier parking charges and other means.

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

shortsighted yeh were in a recession, people don't even know if they will have a job at the moment, you honestly expect people to vote to PAY. its you who are shortsighted in this climate.:p

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

Cashy honey .... this is not the first recession we have encountered. In terms of development 5 year recession is nothing ... crumbs it's taken London Authorities over 16 years to get Crossrail approved.

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

it must be the first one were they have balloted the public, asking em if they want to pay more, cos i don't remember another.:rolleyes: i cannot believe they are that dumb to waste money on a public ballot, when the answer was so obvious.

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

I agree .. should never have gone to referendum, should have done what Ken did ... "you voted me in as Mayor, I will, therefore, make the decision" Have to be cruel to be kind in the long run. :D

Would be very difficult if all big issues on Governing this country went to referendum. Too many people voting with their hearts and not their heads.

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

now ya get me drift, yer shortsightedness has vanished.:D look at it this way, How much of whose money does a ballot of this scale cost? i don't know but it certainly aint cheap. 10 districts voted, fer it to carry 7 of them had to vote fer the charges. we are in a recession. what chance was there of people voting to PAY. i say - not a cat in hells, complete waste of taxpayers money. simple as.

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

Yes, but only the referendum .. not the proposal to improve the transport situation in Manchester.

Road charging of some sort will have to be levied in the future, and probably Nationwide.

Re: manchester to get congestion zone...
 

it was not a proposal that wasted money! it was a ballot.