Current Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) proposals simply assume introducing the world's largest congestion charge scheme is the only way of tackling congestion and funding transport improvements in our region. We don't agree.
Congestion across the entire 80 sq mile charging zone is in no way serious enough to require this radical step. The charge is a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Our councils’ own figures show traffic volumes on local roads have not increased over the past fifteen years.That means, where speeds have slowed, we are simply not managing traffic effectively.
We believe there are many low-cost, environmentally sound alternatives that would make a real difference. They have just not yet been explored in any meaningful way. Here are just a few common sense examples:
- Address traffic pinch points - Simple measures such as traffic light removal and re-designing problem junctions radically improve traffic flow and reduce congestion. In Europe, in towns where this type of solution has been introduced, typical journey times have been halved and accidents reduced.
- Launch Red Routes - Red Routes (no stopping zones) have been proved to work in UK cities, improving traffic flow, making average journey times 20% faster.
- Re-evaluate bus lanes - Bus lanes create congestion by reducing road capacity, effectively turning dual carriageways into single roads. Transport planners must prove bus lanes carry more people in buses than they would in cars before putting them in place.
- More Yellow School buses - We all know the roads are much quieter when the kids aren’t in school. A single Yellow School Bus can reduce the number of annual car trips by 25,000 and is very cheap and cost effective way to reduce congestion. The TIF package proposes the introducton of 180 more to supplement an existing small scheme; that's simply not enough for all the schools in Greater Manchester. We should put more focus on this low cost initiative.
- Explore cheaper public transport options - The proposed Metrolink expansion adds just 18 miles of track (the extensions to the airport and Trafford Park) but accounts for around half of the councils' total transport spend under TIF - a massive £1.2 billion. Virtually all of the Rochdale, Oldham and Tameside extensions have already been funded and will be built regardless of the TIF package. Is 18 miles of extra track really the best way to spend £1.2 billion?
How would we fund public transport improvements?
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Simply ask the government for the money without the strings of congestion charging attached
- Privatise public assets - Our councils own Manchester Airport, Bournemouth Airport, East Midlands Airport and Humberside Airport. Privatising these would easily raise £3 billion and fund public transport proposals, which could be designed to much better meet our future transport needs.
