Consultation on C-charge ready to roll

THE future of transport in Greater Manchester is up for debate as a massive public consultation gets under way.

Over the summer there will be helplines and websites, and brochures will be sent to 1.2 million households and businesses in a bid to help people understand how the £3 billion Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) package will affect them.

TIF, which is the single largest transport investment ever undertaken outside London, proposes to introduce congestion charging on weekdays at peak times to fund massive improvements to Greater Manchester’s public transport system.

The package comprises central government grants of £1.5 billion, and £1.2 billion in local funding which will come from congestion charging, as well as further investment from rail and bus companies.

The money will be split across 30 different public transport schemes across the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.

At least 80 per cent of the transport improvements will be in operation before the introduction of a congestion charge which will be brought in by 2013.

Improvements set to be completed ahead of that date include the Metrolink extensions to Oldham town centre, Ashton bus station, East Didsbury, Manchester Airport and Rochdale town centre.

Extra trains will have been introduced at peak times and stations will have been upgraded. There will be extra buses and bus routes, and a fleet of yellow school buses.

Other improvements include more park-and-ride spaces, transport interchanges in Altrincham, Bolton, Stockport and Wigan, and an electronic travel card.

Alternatives are explored in an information pack, such as relying on government funding which could take up to 50 years, a 16 per cent increase in council tax, and a rise in business rates. But supporters say these have all been ruled out as unsuitable.

The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive has set up a mobile exhibition which will stop at 30 destinations over the next 60 days.

Responses to the consultation, which ends in October, will help the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) to decide whether or not to go ahead with the package for final government approval.

One key element in the process will be independent research into public and business views about a referendum, which will be dealt with by AGMA at the end of the month.

A full report on the consultation findings will be published after it is completed, and will be made available at libraries, council offices and at gmfuturetransport.com