Manchester mumsnetters - how are you going to vote re the Congestion Charge?

[Tinker]

I'm on the fence.

Agree with it in principle but think Manchester's public transport is still too crap (from where I live)

What do you think?

I think it'll get a No vote anyway because it just feels like another expense atm

It's £8 now, was a fiver when first introduced but that didn't last long . And you do realise that if you live in the zone you still have to pay a percentage of it every time you move. It's a bastard system.

I'm in Whitefield, so if I wanted to go to Prestwich, Crumpsall, Cheetham Hill, Manchester Fort, Blackley, Harpurhey Market or town I would have to pay £1.

I would like to think there would be exemptions for people like suwoo, however something tells me there won't be.

Its ridiculous. Bastards!

Also, Salford and Swinton and plaes that way would cause me to pay too. I have friends in all the places I've mentioned, so to go and see them in the morning would cost me £1 and I'm still 7 ish miles from town.

What will make a big difference to our town is the completion of the link road through to manchester airport. It stops and turns into a field about 3 miles short atm.

This was not mentioned in the CC discussion for Manchester but some progress has been announced today, which the government has suddenly decided to part fund out of the blue.

We both got our papers today. NO from us, on principle. It should not affect him as he drives out of Tameside into Stockport.
If DH did not drive it would be 2 buses each way for his work. There is no train line that goes near his place of work, they shut it years ago. It's a nice dog walk now though.
I have a friend whose DS was not allocated a place at either of the schools within walking distance, and was given one where the only safe reliable way of getting there was driving. She is going to be charged for the pleasure if this comes in.
Another friend is a teacher. To get to school for 8 she gets up at 5.30, and drops her school age child at one minder, and the younger one at another, even then she is pushing it for time...how can she use public transport for that? Madness.

I'm a no.

I recently moved here from London, where I supported the C-charge.

but in Manchester the public transport is terribly expensive, for a poor quality service. The other day I paid £1.50 to go 3 stops on the bus (I was running late!). In London I travelled 4 miles for 90p.

I am aware that plans are afoot to improve public transport, but I don't think that they are specific enough for me to have confidence in them. Also the plans are too focused on the metro, rather than buses. No mention of integrated ticketing either, so it costs a fortune if your journey is tram + train/bus.

There's also a weird quirk, whereby to drive from my house in prestwich to PILs in Heaton Moor would be cheaper going through town than on the motorway. However I would be contributing more to congestion by going through town.

It's just not well thought-out enough.

ashoesandbagsbird - apparently, the Govt. are pushing now for our by-pass because they need the construction industry to be kept busy & earning! It's the talk of HG but I cannot tell you how many people have said to me today "We'll believe it when we see it!" 40 or more years worth of waiting kinda jades ya!

I am so pleased that most people are a no on here.

It just is not practical for a city the size of Manchester. And with the state of the economy we should be attracting people, not putting people off from coming.

It is one of the most ridiculous proposals that the council have come up with. I also don't trust that the vote will make much difference for the congestion charge coming in. I have experience of this with regards to a residents parking scheme they tried to bring in near me, which was totally and utterly corrupt from start to finish. Once they were spruced they had to give it up, but that was after a long long fight.

no from me too.
i'm in bury so we already have the tram and our council have already said they don't support it.
my DH works in manchester and already uses the tram everyday. it costs a fortune to park, last week i paid £8.40 to park for 4 hours but with a baby and a toddler using the tram isn't practical when you have bags of shopping as well.

as another HG girl Doodle, i'm with you on the scepticism about the link road.

I've got my voting form this morning and have put a big fat X in the No box. I am also really relieved that everyone on here seems to be of a similar thought

Fingers crossed for the result

mis-read title as "constipation charge" ...

thought, crikey, local government is getting interventionist nowadays ...

er, sorry, carry on ....

oh dear I've killed the thread with flippancy sorry

bump

I will be voting NO. I use public transport a LOT (don't drive) and could do with the extra being spent on it but i don't see why the charge has to start at the job centre in Stockport for a MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE congestion charge. We only get the metrolink if there is money left after everything else.

They are reducing the number of carriages at my local train station and yet expect that a park and ride there will not need the extra carriages |The trains they will use instead are not buggy/wheelchair friendly (as in if you can get on in the first place you are then stranded in the doorways as you won't fit dowen the aisles)

I don't disagree with charging in the actual centre of town tho

oooh other HG Mnetters

I am 2 miles down the road from HG but don't get a vote..

Lol at CTGHairs.

MOM i was suprised at more HG Mnetters too.

I thought i was the only one

how strange paddington...?

i bet we all go round now looking at everyone wondering if they are MNetters!

If we had the chance to vote then no but we don't get a vote despite there being lot's of commuters from Rossendale on the m66 every morning going into Manchester.
Luckily i am not returning to work after mat leave and dp has got a job out of Manchester now!

Yes, from me.

1.) They're not going to introduce the charge until 80% of the developments are in place.

2.) You have to think about the future. Things may be just about bearable now but for how much longer?

3.) It's only during peak times at weak days. You can still shop in evenings and weekends.

4.) IMHO you can't vote against something which is for the greater good just because of your personal inconvenience. Beyond selfish.

5.) The NOrth West has amongst the worst rates for childhood asthma etc which is partly caused and exacerbated by car fumes. Not to mention global warming etc etc.

In fact, I think it's brilliant.

fc, I would be a yes, but the proposals for "improvements" to public transport are just too sketchy. There are no measurable targets, adn I don't think the proposals to add to the metro are as cost effective as more buses and more bus lanes. There is no promise of fares being kept low, as there have been in London.

Until peak tram fares are reduced, it still would be more cost effective for me go to work in the car! And as both I and PILs live in the zone, I could drive there for free as long as I go through town. To do so would add to pollution, and would add to congestion. But to get on the motorway, whizz round, and pop 5 back into the zone would mean paying the charge!

in summary, I have problems with the details (or lack thereof) of the scheme, rather than with the idea of C-charge.

fivecandles, and you believe that crap propaganda do you ?

from me, a big fat fucking no

where I live has been promised all sorts of public transport improvements over many years

the outcome? nada