CONGESTION CHARGE
I’LL NEVER MAKE YOU PAY VOWS BURNHAM
ANDY Burnham has vowed NEVER to introduce a charge on car drivers, as he launches a major plan to battle congestion.
Opening a consultation in a bid to slash traffic jams in Greater Manchester, the mayor spoke of trialling fullyelectric buses, encouraging flexible working hours and car sharing, tackling bottlenecks, boosting access to public transport – and renovating rail stations.
But he said car drivers would not be charged to reduce congestion and pollution – although he can’t rule out a tariff on HGVs and buses one day.
It follows an ‘exploratory’ study by transport bosses based on charging £7.50 a day to enter the city centre under a £20m scheme to meet new clean-air targets. ‘Clean Air Zones’ are included in government guidance on how to tackle pollution hotspots like Greater Manchester by charging drivers of diesel and older petrol models.
That’s because emissions from vehicles – exacerbated by queuing traffic – are causing cancer, asthma, heart disease and dementia. However, speaking about his major new scheme to tackle congestion, Mr Burnham said: “We have to improve our air quality but charging is not a solution I’m going towards. In the end we’ve got to have air in compliance with legal standards. “My commitment is I will try everything else first. If it ever is to happen here, you are talking a long way down the line and even if it did I would go to restricting buses and HGVs. I’m not going to implement that charge on car users. I want to make this really clear – there will never be any charge on individual motorists.” He said congestion in Manchester – where people suffer the second worst traffic in the UK – was damaging our commute, health and the economy. On average Greater Manchester residents lose nearly 40 hours a year as a result of congested roads – and it costs the economy £1.3bn a year. He added: “Congestion is a crippling problem facing so many roads in Greater Manchester. It affects people’s quality of life, it costs our businesses and it creates poor air quality that contributes to illness and premature death. This can’t carry on.” Dubbed a ‘conversation’ on The Mayor’s New Greater Manchester Congestion Plan, the six-week consultation was described by Mr Burnham as a ‘journey to take on people’s feedback.’ Go to www.tfgm.com/congestion to take part. A plan will be published in January 2018.
Congestion is a crippling problem facing so many roads in Greater Manchester... this can’t carry on Andy Burnham