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Monday, 21st August 2006
Drivers' fee 'the price of Big Bang'

GREATER Manchester is "almost certain" to reject a London-style congestion-charge zone as it looks at how to pay for the Metrolink Big Bang.

Transport chiefs are examining a range of road-pricing schemes to close the £400m gap between the scaled-down tram extension the government has backed, and the original package with lines to the airport, Ashton under Lyne and Rochdale.

The most likely source of cash is the Transport Innovation Fund, worth an initial £290m nationwide in 2008/09 and rising to £2.5bn by 2014/15.

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Douglas Alexander, the Transport Secretary, has said he will "prioritise" bids which "include road pricing".

Queue

Dozens of towns and cities would like the cash, but Greater Manchester and Birmingham believe they are at the front of the queue. Both would need the lion's share of the money available in the first year of TIF to make quick progress - triggering fears of a bidding war.

Research by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive will be used in a bid for TIF money next summer.

It is understood the GMPTE has already concluded the region will reach a "tipping point", where congestion levels begin to hit the economy, early next decade. One source said at current rates of traffic growth, the region could "grind to a halt" by 2020.

Infrastructure

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester council, confirmed he has discussed a possible congestion charge scheme with Mr Alexander.

"We are not in principle against congestion charging and road pricing and never have been," said Sir Richard.

"But investment in public transport infrastructure has to be in place before we will consider it, and we will not consider it if it damages the economy."

He said there had been research to identify the congestion "tipping point", when road charging might have to be considered as part of the solution.

But he added: "That almost certainly doesn't mean the sort of congestion scheme that London has - a ring around somewhere.

"More sophisticated schemes look at congestion where it happens, and when it happens."

Technology

GMPTE has already looked at a possible tax on workplace parking in the city centre, although the government appears to have gone cold on that idea. Mr Alexander's predecessor, Alistair Darling, was keen to use GPS technology to tailor congestion charging to precisely when and where motorists were driving.

Mr Alexander has said he was interested in national road pricing, with TIF-funded local schemes as pilots. This raises worries that Manchester and Birmingham could submit too-ambitious plans to get the money.

Graham Stringer, MP for Manchester Blackley, said the government should avoid a "destructive competition" between the two and instead use TIF to encourage private sector cash, or allow more borrowing so that all major cities could pay for tram networks.

He said there had been research to identify the congestion "tipping point", when road charging might have to be considered as part of the solution.