Comments on: Manchester Congestion Charging http://manchester-blog.com/manchester-congestion-charging/ Manchester car parking on the M60 can you explain it? Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:59:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim Symcoxhttp://manchester-blog.com/manchester-congestion-charging/comment-page-1/#comment-8560 Jim Symcox Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:32:37 +0000 http://manchester-blog.com/manchester-congestion-charging/#comment-8560 Pete, I think you've hit the nail on the head. When bus deregulation happened we were promised a brand new and amazing transport system. The result was buses queuing to drive the most lucrative routes whilst dropping the marginal ones. The tram system, wonderful though I believe it is, has a very high price during rush hour (£5 from whitefield to GMex return). Like you my heart says yes but my experience of transport in Manchester says no. Read my next post on the business case I've just received through the post for a few further thoughts too! Pete,

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. When bus deregulation happened we were promised a brand new and amazing transport system. The result was buses queuing to drive the most lucrative routes whilst dropping the marginal ones. The tram system, wonderful though I believe it is, has a very high price during rush hour (£5 from whitefield to GMex return).

Like you my heart says yes but my experience of transport in Manchester says no.

Read my next post on the business case I’ve just received through the post for a few further thoughts too!

]]> By: pete whitfieldhttp://manchester-blog.com/manchester-congestion-charging/comment-page-1/#comment-8553 pete whitfield Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:33:26 +0000 http://manchester-blog.com/manchester-congestion-charging/#comment-8553 I'm a big fan of public transport - I got sick of rush hour motoring and was persuaded by eco considerations to ditch my car. I wasn't persuaded by the glorious public transport system ('cos it is currently pretty messy) though the bus from my part of town (X34 from Astley) is a quick, comfortable, efficient, new one - and the ticket price is pretty good, with no rush-hour premium. If I vote yes who will administer the money for an improved public transport system? If you look at the current set up it lacks joined-up thinking and if the body can't apply some common sense to our current system what hope for the future? The greatest weapon in the no vote (and I haven't seen it used yet) is the tickets page of GMPTE - frightening. Integration and simplicity (particularly in ticketing) seem to be a pipe dream and will throwing more money at this body improve matters? I hope so, but I fear not. Fix the current system first, encourage the use of public transport, learning lessons from Transport for London and probably most other public transport bodies around the world, then seek funding to expand. My heart says vote yes for the congestion charge but my head says no, and unless I see a reason in the coming days to trust the body that will be given so much money under the scheme I will have to vote no. I’m a big fan of public transport – I got sick of rush hour motoring and was persuaded by eco considerations to ditch my car. I wasn’t persuaded by the glorious public transport system (‘cos it is currently pretty messy) though the bus from my part of town (X34 from Astley) is a quick, comfortable, efficient, new one – and the ticket price is pretty good, with no rush-hour premium.
If I vote yes who will administer the money for an improved public transport system? If you look at the current set up it lacks joined-up thinking and if the body can’t apply some common sense to our current system what hope for the future? The greatest weapon in the no vote (and I haven’t seen it used yet) is the tickets page of GMPTE – frightening. Integration and simplicity (particularly in ticketing) seem to be a pipe dream and will throwing more money at this body improve matters? I hope so, but I fear not. Fix the current system first, encourage the use of public transport, learning lessons from Transport for London and probably most other public transport bodies around the world, then seek funding to expand.
My heart says vote yes for the congestion charge but my head says no, and unless I see a reason in the coming days to trust the body that will be given so much money under the scheme I will have to vote no.

]]> By: Jim Symcoxhttp://manchester-blog.com/manchester-congestion-charging/comment-page-1/#comment-8260 Jim Symcox Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:08:11 +0000 http://manchester-blog.com/manchester-congestion-charging/#comment-8260 Yes the charge is on us...I suspect the vote will be won by the YES campaign purely because of the heavyweight media behind it. Whether that's good or bad remains to be seen, check out my blog posting about the likely costs to see what you think. Yes the charge is on us…I suspect the vote will be won by the YES campaign purely because of the heavyweight media behind it. Whether that’s good or bad remains to be seen, check out my blog posting about the likely costs to see what you think.

]]> By: Congestion Charge - Woe is Mehttp://manchester-blog.com/manchester-congestion-charging/comment-page-1/#comment-8024 Congestion Charge - Woe is Me Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:26:03 +0000 http://manchester-blog.com/manchester-congestion-charging/#comment-8024 And now the referendum is upon us in a month. People of Manchester: When you get the vote coupon through your door, please vote "NO" If you are in two minds you can read here: http://gmcongestioncharge.co.uk/index.html And now the referendum is upon us in a month. People of Manchester: When you get the vote coupon through your door, please vote “NO”

If you are in two minds you can read here: http://gmcongestioncharge.co.uk/index.html

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