No plans for Manchester congestion charge

Transport bosses in Greater Manchester have confirmed there are no plans for a congestion charge in the city centre.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) confirmed plans to "invest heavily" in public transport instead of introducing a congestion charge, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

The transport agency said it will be investing invest £2.5bn of government money into the region between 2027 and 2032, and bringing trains to the Bee Network from December.

A report published by Manchester City Council on Tuesday revealed traffic had become so bad that it had cost the region's economy billions of pounds.

"There are no plans for a congestion charge in any part of Greater Manchester, instead we are investing heavily in the Bee Network to give people a reliable alternative to getting in their car," a TfGM spokesperson said.

"One tram full of people could replace around 200 cars on the road and a double decker bus around 75, demonstrating the benefits of getting more people on board the Bee Network."

The congestion charge has been a topic of contention since it was first suggested in 2017.

But the city region's traffic problems have grown amid a major increase in housebuilding around the region, especially in the borough of Manchester itself.

A Manchester City Council officer said at Tuesday's scrutiny meeting that the city's roads could "only be expanded so much" alongside the city's growth.

A spokesperson said: "We have known for some time that Manchester is reaching the upper limits of how many vehicles can be accommodated by the current network.

"The continued growth of the city, coupled with the increase in car ownership across the city-region, contributes to a situation where more cars are competing for the same amount of space on our roads.

"The council – alongside our GM partners – have been working to address this issue in recent years with a concerted push towards other forms of transport which can remove pressure from the road network.

"We are investing in public transport as well as walking and cycling infrastructure in order to provide more ways to travel, so that journey times can be more reliable for when driving is the best option."

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