‘C-charge will bring 50 years’ work in 5’

HALF a century of public transport improvements will come in only five years if Greater Manchester votes yes to congestion charging, supporters of the controversial scheme claim.

In a move which opponents will view as another example of spin offered by a slick PR campaign, council bosses have released a timeline of events.

It claims that 80 per cent of the promised boost to trams, train, and buses will be in place before 2013, when drivers would have to start paying to take their vehicles into Manchester.

The timeline shows the first event would be the design of park-and-ride sites, followed next summer by the development of electronic ticketing and a real-time (accurate) information system.

Next year, work would start on the new Metrolink lines to Oldham and Rochdale, as well as between Droylsden and Ashton, Chorlton and East Didsbury and Manchester Airport.

Trafford Park Metrolink replacement buses would begin running in 2010 and work would start on railway station platform extensions and fast bus routes between Oldham and the city centre.

Rush

During 2011, the first trams would start running on the converted loop line to Oldham, Rochdale, Droylsden and Chorlton. The Wigan transport hub would also open.

And in a rush of work in the last 18 months, trams would start running to Oldham and Rochdale town centres and to the airport, park-and-ride sites would open; a final batch of yellow school buses would start running and smartcard electronic tickets would be introduced

Lord Peter Smith, leader of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, said: “The package will deliver 50 years’ worth of conventional government-funded public transport investment in only five years and it is great news the public will be able to see tangible results happening by 2012.”

Opponents of the scheme ask what benefits trams will bring to Oldham that are not already offered by the many bus and rail services.

They also point out that sky-high petrol costs have already cut the number of people driving into and out of the city centre.