Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund (TiF)
Encyclopedia
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive
Transport for Greater Manchester is the public body responsible for co-ordinating public transport services throughout Greater Manchester, in North West England. The organisation traces its origins to the Transport Act 1968, when the SELNEC Passenger Transport Executive was established to...
(GMPTA) and Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) to secure £1.5 billion from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF), a major public transport funding mechanism in England, for the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. There would have been an additional £1.2 billion borrowed and paid back through a mixture of public transport revenues and weekday, peak-time only Greater Manchester congestion charge.
If approved, the funds would have been spent on modernising Greater Manchester's transport network, with large scale extensions of the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
system, as well as increased bus and rail services, investment in existing stations and improvements to cycling and road networks. Other changes would have been the introduction of the Readycard
Readycard
Readycard is an electronic payment card under development in Greater Manchester, England for use on public transport services in the county.The card is being developed by Transport for Greater Manchester , a member of the Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation...
, an Integrated Transport Smartcard
Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation
ITSO is a non-profit membership organisation which maintains and develops the ITSO specification. The specification is an open one which is Crown copyrighted and available to all with the aim of allowing interoperable ticketing between transport operators in the UK....
similar to the Oyster card
Oyster card
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...
used in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
.
AGMA decided to hold a referendum in Greater Manchester so that its electorate could express their approval or rejection of the proposals. The referendum, a postal vote
Postal voting
Postal voting describes the method of voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed or returned by post to electors, in contrast to electors voting in person at a polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system....
, began in late November and closed on 11 December 2008. The results were announced on 12 December, showing that the majority of voters in all ten boroughs rejected the proposals.
History
On 25 May 2007 the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) and GMPTA issued a joint news release stating their intention to 'seek views' on a possible Transport Innovation Fund (TiF) bid to the government for a £3bn package of transport funding along with the introduction of a congestion charging system.Four tests were set by AGMA for a suitable bid:
- 80% of the investment programme would be in place before congestion charging commenced, with 100% of the improvements completed in the subsequent two-year period.
- The proposal would support competition and address social inclusion across Greater Manchester
- That the bid be acceptable to both the public and the business community
- That the congestion charge addressed areas where congestion was most obvious, and that it would be simple and efficient
Following a consultation period involving the use of polls, focus groups, and feedback, on 27 July 2007 AGMA agreed to submit the bid. On 9 June 2008 Ruth Kelly
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
, the Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
, announced that Greater Manchester's TiF bid had been approved by the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
. A 14-week consultation on the proposal began on 5 July 2008, and on 24 July 2008 a decision was made to allow a referendum to decide upon the future of the scheme. At a meeting of the AGMA in Bolton on 29 August 2008, it was decided that a referendum would be held on 11 December 2008. It was the first time that the population of Greater Manchester has voted in a referendum since 1975 when the UK voted to stay in the European Union. The returning officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
was Sir Neil McIntosh. The referendum is to be administered by the Electoral Reform Society
Electoral Reform Society
The Electoral Reform Society is a political pressure group based in the United Kingdom which promotes electoral reform. It is believed to be the oldest organisation concerned with electoral systems in the world.-Aims:...
. Although the local authorities opted into the referendum, they were not obliged to take part as it is a "local poll" governed by Section 116 of the Local Government Act 2003
Local Government Act 2003
The Local Government Act 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It made various changes to the administration of local government in the United Kingdom...
. To ensure the success of the bid, 50.1% of all votes in seven out of the ten Greater Manchester authorities would need to be 'for' the scheme. From the total vote (each region has 10% of the total) a minimum vote of 35.07% 'for' spread evenly over seven areas is required.
Funding
The proposed funding would have been in two parts: £1.441bn in the form of a grant from Central Government, and £1.150bn as a loan to be repaid over a period of 30 years with the profit generated by both the public transport system and the Congestion Charge, in addition £300m would have been loaned to directly set up and administer the congestion charging system. The funding would be spent on the proposed improvements, and the cost of setting up the system. Once the loan had been repaid, the profits from the congestion charge would be used to fund future investment in Greater Manchester's transport system.Buses
- Improving the frequency of bus services at all times of day, including the early morning and late evening
- Expanding the service network and making bus coverage in Greater Manchester more comprehensive
- Introducing more modern and comfortable buses (all of which would have low floors for ease of access)
- Providing new "feeder" links with railway stations and Metrolink stops
- Improving fare-collection systems, encouraging the use of season ticketSeason ticketA season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.-Sport:In sport, a season ticket grants the holder access to all regular-season home games for one season without additional charges. The ticket usually offers a discounted price over purchasing a ticket for each of...
s and the introduction of a smartcard scheme - Introducing "bus priority" corridorsBus laneA bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion...
to give buses more road space.
At a local level, the plan presumed that 90% of the population of Greater Manchester should live within a five-minute walk of a bus service meeting the following criteria:
- At least a 20-minute frequency on weekdays
- At least a 30-minute frequency on weekday evenings and at weekends.
Access improvements would have included a new real-time customer information system: passengers would be able to monitor the location of buses, and their expected time of arrival, by checking online or by using a mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
, with some stops including screens displaying such information. Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
at stops and on buses would be installed to help improve security. New routes were proposed, including circular routes serving various inner suburbs and connecting them with popular districts such as Trafford Park
Trafford Park
Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located opposite Salford Quays, on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, it is west-southwest of Manchester city centre, and north of Stretford. Until the late 19th century it was the...
and Salford Quays
Salford Quays
Salford Quays is an area of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the closure of the dockyards in...
; outer circular services travelling across Greater Manchester between outlying areas transport interchanges and linking transport corridors in addition to the existing radial services terminating in Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
; and a high-speed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service between Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
, Salford, and Manchester, travelling mostly on new bus corridors.
Yellow school buses
As of 2008 there were 36 dedicated school buses operating in Greater Manchester. The Transport Innovation Fund would have increased the fleet in two stages. Funding had already been secured for 120 new school buses (provided regardless of the outcome of the public vote on the proposals), 70 of which were to be used on new routes, and 50 to replace the buses then in use on existing routes. A further 170 were planned to be introduced over the next decade utilising Tif funding.Railways
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
is responsible for running local rail services and for operating most railway stations in Greater Manchester. The TiF included plans for improving the rail network in the area. Investment in new and longer trains would increase peak-time
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
capacity by 2,950 seats across Greater Manchester; this would be in addition to 4,100 peak-time seats the government had promised to fund regardless of whether the TiF proceeded. Extra platforms or extensions to existing platforms could be built at some stations to accommodate longer trains. Security improvements would include the provision of closed-circuit television at stations, covering platforms, waiting areas and car parks. In order to encourage passengers to cycle to stations, 2,500 secure bicycle stand
Bicycle stand
A bicycle stand,also called a bike rack, is a device to which bicycles may be securely attached. It may be free standing or securely attached to the ground or some stationary object such as a building. Indoor bike racks are commonly used for private bicycle parking, while outdoor bike racks are...
s are planned. Connections between different modes of transport would be improved with interchange facilities (with buses and Metrolink services where applicable) at several locations in Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
, Salford, Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
, Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Eccles
Eccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
and Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
. New or enlarged park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
facilities were proposed at Cheadle Hulme
Cheadle Hulme railway station
Cheadle Hulme railway station is an open triangular railway station serving Cheadle Hulme in Greater Manchester. It is located on the West Coast Main Line and is included in Network Rail Route 20...
, Horwich Parkway
Horwich Parkway railway station
Horwich Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Horwich and Middlebrook near Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically located within Lancashire, the station is 16¼ miles north west of Manchester Piccadilly on the Manchester to Preston commuter line...
, Hazel Grove
Hazel Grove railway station
Hazel Grove railway station is on the Stockport to Buxton / Sheffield line, serving the village of Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester, England. It was built for the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway by the London and North Western Railway and opened on 9 June 1857...
, Heald Green
Heald Green railway station
Heald Green railway station is a railway station serving the suburb of Heald Green, in Cheadle, England.It is located on the Styal Line, which was opened in 1909 by the London & North Western Railway. The station is located between Gatley and...
, Mills Hill
Mills Hill railway station
Mills Hill railway station is in the Mills Hill area of Middleton in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. The station is 9 km north of Manchester Victoria on the Caldervale Line...
, Rochdale
Rochdale railway station
Rochdale railway station serves the town of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. The Manchester and Leeds Railway opened a station serving the town in the 19th century...
, Romiley
Romiley railway station
Romiley railway station serves Romiley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England.It was built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway on its extension to New Mills, opening in 1862 from Manchester....
and Stalybridge
Stalybridge railway station
Stalybridge railway station serves Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. It lies on the Huddersfield Line 12 km east of Manchester Piccadilly and 13 km east of Manchester Victoria. The station is managed by First TransPennine Express....
railway stations. As with the proposed improvements to the bus network, customer information screens would have been provided at all stations; real-time updates would be available online and via a text message service
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
. The proposed smartcard system would be valid on trains in the Greater Manchester area as well as on buses and trams.
Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
is Greater Manchester's urban transit system
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
. The network in 2008 had 3 routes, 37 stations and 23 miles (37 km) of track. The Phase 3a extension already had funding, with surveys and inspection work already underway. Further extensions proposed under the TiF scheme would have increased track mileage to 67 miles (108 km), the number of stops to 108, the combined impact of the recently announced extensions to the Metrolink network (which are not part of TiF) and the impact of TiF extensions would bring to the total passenger capacity to 70 million journeys annually (from 20 million in 2008).
The proposed Phase 3b extension included within the TiF consisted of various extensions to Phase 3a routes:
- Two branch lines running from the Phase 3a terminus at Chorlton-cum-HardyChorlton-cum-HardyChorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
. One would run to East Didsbury, the other to Manchester Airport - An extension to the Phase 3a DroylsdenDroylsdenDroylsden is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is to the east of Manchester city centre, and west-southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne, it has a population of 23,172....
branch, to Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines... - A street running line running between MumpsOldham Mumps railway stationOldham Mumps Railway Station opened on 1 November 1847 and served the town of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. The station was a primary station located on the Oldham Loop Line north east of Manchester Victoria operated and managed by Northern Rail....
and WernethOldham Werneth railway stationOldham Werneth railway station was situated on the Oldham Loop Line, 10 km north east of Manchester Victoria. The station was situated on Featherstall Road South, in the Werneth area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England...
stations in Oldham, replacing the heavy rail route. - Extending the Phase 3a RochdaleRochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
branch from Rochdale railway stationRochdale railway stationRochdale railway station serves the town of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. The Manchester and Leeds Railway opened a station serving the town in the 19th century...
into the town centre - Funding would also be made available for a branch line to the Trafford CentreTrafford CentreThe Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, close to the Trafford Park industrial estate and approximately 5 miles from Manchester city centre. It is the highest valued shopping centre in the...
. - A Second City Crossing to increase capacity through Manchester city centreManchester City CentreManchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
, and to avoid the possibility of tram congestion between G-Mex stationG-Mex Metrolink stationDeansgate-Castlefield Metrolink station is a station on the Metrolink light rail system which operates in Greater Manchester, England...
and Piccadilly. This would link G-Mex directly with Victoria stationManchester Victoria stationManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
, avoiding Piccadilly, with potential new stops at Cross Street and Albert SquareAlbert Square, ManchesterAlbert Square is a public square in the centre of Manchester, England.It is dominated by its largest building, Manchester Town Hall , a Victorian Gothic building by Alfred Waterhouse...
- although a slightly longer route along DeansgateDeansgateDeansgate is a main road through the city centre of Manchester, England. It runs roughly north–south in a near straight route through the western part of the city centre and is the longest road in the city centre at over one mile long....
was considered.
An additional 40 trams would have been ordered to supplement the 32 then in use on the network, and to provide extra capacity for Phase 3a. The TiF would fund the purchase of a further 58 trams. On the then existing network, capacity enhancements would be primarily along the Altrincham–Bury route: all services would be operated by double units (two trams coupled together) by the end of 2012. Proposed general enhancements to the system included frequency improvements, new 'through' journeys between different regions of Greater Manchester, improved accessibility to the trams, track improvements, real-time customer information systems, security enhancements, and the ability to use the proposed smartcard.
Since the rejection of Tif a plan to achieve most of the same Metrolink investment programme was created drawing funds from increased council tax precepts, commercial loans and the bringing forward of the entitled Dft Regional Funding Allocation from 2010-2016. The £1.3bn fund which is also being spent on some road schemes and the BRT scheme enabled £800m of the planned Metrolink investment to proceed. The notable exceptions were the £317m Trafford line, part of the Airport Loop and the Stockport town centre extension.
Greater Manchester smartcard
The planned smartcard system would cover all modes of transport in the Greater Manchester area, removing the need to buy separate tickets for a multi-modal journey. Operationally, it would be similar to London's Oystercard scheme.While delayed by the failure of the Tif vote the smartcard has since found £1m annual funding from a new government programme for research and studies into enabling the roll out of smartcards nationally amongst the city regions.
Cars
Congestion within the Greater Manchester area had remained unchanged for some years. A report released by Greater Manchester Traffic Unit in September 2008 states that "Manchester traffic flows decreased in all time periods between 1997 and 2006. The improvements to the Manchester and Salford Inner Relief Route in 2002 and traffic management measures within the city centre have contributed to this."The planned congestion charge scheme
Congestion charging in Greater Manchester
The Greater Manchester congestion charge was part of a bid to the Government's Transport Innovation Fund for a £3-billion package of transport funding and the introduction of a road congestion charge for Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England...
would be in place by 2013. An anticipated reduction of 10–15% in the number of cars entering the charging zone was expected to both reduce congestion, and decrease journey times. A traffic information and control system would be installed along all of the major routes into Manchester city centre, to monitor incidents, and provide information on problems and diversionary routes. There would be improved park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
facilities, including new sites on many of the Metrolink extensions and the Leigh–Manchester bus route.
According to the data contained in the TIF bid submitted by Greater Manchester's 10 council leaders to the government, half the cost of congestion to Greater Manchester is caused by traffic that does not travel inside the M60, and those drivers would not be affected by the planned peak-hour congestion charge.
Background
The congestion charging system would have been based upon two charging rings, picking up vehicles travelling toward Manchester on weekday mornings between 7 am and 9.30 am, and away from Manchester between 4 pm and 6.30 pm. Drivers would be charged £2 (at 2007 prices) upon crossing the outer ring (just within the M60), and £1 upon crossing the inner ring travelling toward Manchester. During the evening, peak period drivers would be charged £1 upon crossing the inner ring, and £1 when crossing the outer ring.AGMA's survey of 5,010 residents aged over 16, which was carried out by Ipsos MORI in August 2008, suggests that two thirds of peak time road users would pay a charge for crossing at least one charging rings once, and that one fifth would incur the full charge.
Plans
The TiF aimed to tackle congestion at the times, places, and direction in which it is most expensive to the economy of Greater Manchester. A key part of the scheme was therefore to introduce a congestion charge. A capped day pass of £5 (at 2007 prices, estimated by AGMA to be £6 by 2013) was proposed for all vehicles, such as multi-drop delivery vehicles which may repeatedly cross charging rings during peak times. HGV and other commercial vehicles would be charged at the same rate as private cars up to the £5 cap. If charging had been introduced, it was claimed by 2013 the average weekday daily charge of £3 at 2007 prices would be no more than £3.60.Commitments
AGMA and GMPTA made the following commitments regarding congestion charging in Greater ManchesterCongestion charging in Greater Manchester
The Greater Manchester congestion charge was part of a bid to the Government's Transport Innovation Fund for a £3-billion package of transport funding and the introduction of a road congestion charge for Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England...
:
- There would be no charge for any vehicles travelling between 6.30 pm and 7 am or between 9.30 am and 4 pm. Vehicles travelling out of the charging rings between 7 am and 9.30 am would not be charged, and vehicles entering the charging rings between 4 pm and 6.30 pm would not be charged. There would be no charge for any vehicles weekends or on Bank Holidays. Drivers not crossing one of the charging rings during their journey would not be charged, and drivers travelling on the M60 or inner ring road would not be charged.
Discounts
A range of discounts would have been made available under the scheme. Motorcycles, Black Taxi Cabs and Private Hire Cars would be entitled to a full discount. Cars, vans and trucks entering the first zone through Trafford Park would have a 100% discount until the Metrolink extension through Trafford Park was complete. For the first two years of the scheme, people on the minimum wageMinimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
would receive a discount of 20% on both public transport fares and the congestion charge. People who have hospital or medical appointments would be entitled to a 100% discount.
Public
Populus Ltd
Populus is a market research company in the United Kingdom formed in 2003. Populus co-founded the British Polling Council in 2004 and regularly publishes opinion polls on voting intention and as well as other political and commercial issues. Clients have included national brands such as the AA and...
, and reported by the BBC on 17 June 2008, indicated that less than a third of residents of Greater Manchester supported the proposals.
According to "secret polling data" obtained by the Manchester Evening News in August 2008, a survey of more than 5,000 people by Ipsos MORI showed that 53% of Greater Manchester would vote in favour of the TiF bid in a referendum. The survey demonstrated a majority in each of the 10 boroughs including Stockport
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in north west England, centred around the town of Stockport. It has a population of about 280,600 and includes the outyling areas of Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme, Marple, Bredbury, Reddish and Romiley...
, Bury
Metropolitan Borough of Bury
The Metropolitan Borough of Bury is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Lying to the north of the City of Manchester, the borough is composed of six towns: Bury, Ramsbottom, Tottington, Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich, and has a population of 181,900...
and Trafford
Trafford
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston...
whose councils have previously opposed the scheme.
The consultation process commissioned by AGMA into the public’s attitude to the £2.7bn Transport Innovation Fund package suggested that a majority of respondents contacted in every borough of Greater Manchester had negative comments. The organisers of the consultation (Ipsos MORI) stated that this demonstrated that respondents had either a positive or negative attitude to at least one of the elements of the package, and not necessarily that they had a positive or negative attitude to the package as a whole.
Business
Opinion on the TiF proposals in business was divided, with various reasons given both for and against the scheme. United CityUnited City
United City is a group of businesses based within Greater Manchester, England, who supported proposals for congestion charging in Greater Manchester via the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund bid for £3 billion. The bid was rejected by a referendum on 12 December 2008...
, a group of local businesses, supported the proposals, however the Greater Manchester Momentum Group, an alliance of over 250 employers, did not.
As part of AGMA's formal consultation into the proposals, it commissioned IPSOS Mori to conduct research amongst 1,002 Greater Manchester businesses in July and August 2008. Their findings indicated that more businesses opposed the plans than supported them. "When asked the extent to which they support or oppose the offer from the Government, one half of respondents oppose (40% “strongly oppose” and 10% “tend to oppose”) and three in ten support (10% “strongly support” and 20% “tend to support”) with approaching one in six (16%) stating neither support nor oppose." A survey of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce members in November 2008 revealed that of those who responded (15% of members), 72% did not view the proposed congestion charge as an acceptable trade off for the investment in public transport and predicted reduction in levels of congestion, and 63% of respondents were opposed to congestion charging in principle. 40% of respondents said that if the charge did come in they would adapt by changing delivery and meeting times, and 30% would introduce more flexible working.
In a letter to the Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
, Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
, manager of Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, backed the Greater Manchester TIF bid. He said the proposals "offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to put Greater Manchester in the premier league for public transport - so don't score an own goal". John Wilkinson, owner of Salford Reds Rugby Club, said "I can't see Sir Alex coming to the games by the tram from Altrincham or going to training at Carrington. It is all right to say these things, but you have got to get involved in it".
Political
On 1 July 2008 the LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Worsley
Worsley (UK Parliament constituency)
Worsley was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, Barbara Keeley
Barbara Keeley
Barbara Mary Keeley is a British Labour Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for Worsley and Eccles South. She represented the predecessor constituency of Worsley from 2005 to 2010, after the retirement of Terry Lewis...
, raised a number of concerns in the House of Commons about the TIF consultation process, which she summed up by saying: "It is my firm view that the consultation proposed by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities and the passenger transport executive is not up to the task."
According to the BBC, motoring groups reacted with anger to the announcement, with the Manchester Against Tolls group describing the day of the announcement as a "bad day for drivers all over Britain". The group called the maximum £5 charge a "Trojan horse" and said this would just be the start of charges for road users. "Ken Livingstone has already demonstrated in London what will happen — he increased the £5 charge to £8 and has doubled the size of the charge zone," a spokesman said. "Road pricing is just another poll tax and will hit less well off drivers the hardest. The intention can only be to try and force them off the road."
The Chairman of the GMPTE Roger Jones lost his seat in the 2008 local by-elections to the candidate of the Community Action Party which campaigned on a platform of opposing the congestion charge on which the TIF plans are based. After his defeat Mr. Jones said "I don’t think my defeat will change things, but it will make everyone a bit more wary. The hardest job for TIF supporters will be explaining the facts to the public." He also pointed out: "When you ask people if they want congestion charging they say no. If you ask whether they want improved public transport they say yes."
A cross party "Stop the Charge" alliance of eight MPs and the council leaders of the already opposed Bury, Trafford and Stockport councils was formed to campaign for a no vote in the referendum on the proposals.
On 30 November the broadcast watchdog OFCOM ruled that the TV advertising campaign by GMPTE which was funded by the Department for Transport and which was intended to be an unbiased presentation of the facts concerning the TiF proposals was biased in favour of the scheme and was in breach of guidelines on political impartiality.
Regional Ballot Results
| Region | Turnout (%) | Yes | No | Yes (%) | No (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton Bolton Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the... |
48.8 | 20,529 | 79,910 | 21 | 79 |
| Bury Bury Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester... |
57.4 | 16,563 | 64,001 | 21 | 79 |
| Rochdale Rochdale Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan... |
50.8 | 17,333 | 68,884 | 20 | 80 |
| Oldham Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester... |
54.4 | 17,571 | 68,884 | 20 | 80 |
| Wigan Wigan Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total... |
45.3 | 27,810 | 78,565 | 26 | 74 |
| Salford City of Salford The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over... |
57.0 | 14,603 | 79,326 | 16 | 84 |
| Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... |
46.1 | 43,593 | 113,064 | 28 | 72 |
| Tameside Tameside The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western... |
60.7 | 16,323 | 83,105 | 17 | 83 |
| Trafford Trafford The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston... |
63.6 | 20,445 | 83,568 | 20 | 80 |
| Stockport Stockport Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name... |
59.0 | 24,090 | 103,706 | 19 | 81 |
| TOTAL | 53.2 | 218,860 | 812,815 | 21.2 | 78.8 |
| Source: Manchester Evening News C-Charge Results | |||||
Post Referendum
The results indicated a strong disapproval of the scheme with support ranging from only 16% to 28% and attracted a combined support of only 1/5 of voters. The AGMA initially refused to drop the scheme in interviews with the press after the count stating the results would be the subject of discussion at the next meeting, but at that next meeting they were officially dropped. Work then began in secret to salvage the work of the Tif with an agreement signed between the local councils 30th Jan 2009. and by May 2009 the 10 local councils had agreed a new funding proposal which costed and ranked the individual Tif spending proposals along with several other existing local transport proposals by need with three budget proposals combining varied increased top slicing of local councils existing transport budgets (20/40/60%) as well as a small council tax rise of 3% and a loan supplemented with already promised national government money not conditional on the congestion charge. On May 12, 2009 the mid sized budget was selected allowing £1.2bn to be raised for spending on both the phase 3a and 3b metrolink extension along with various road and bus improvements. The proposed congestion charge, travel card, increased trains and most of the station improvements were dropped.The rejection also led to the demise of the Transport Innovation Fund grants offered to councils outside Greater London between 2005 and 2010 who implemented congestion charging to fund large scale capital investment in transport. After the referendum other councils such as Durham and Cambridgeshire which had submitted bids and others in the process of submitting withdrew their applications. In March 2010 the government formally began the process of closing down the fund and the £9.5bn funding which had been allocated to potential recipients between 2008 and 2015 was reallocated to plug the Crossrail funding gap contrary to its original intention of financing transport investment outside the capital.
See also
- Manchester congestion charge
- Transport in ManchesterTransport in ManchesterThe transport infrastructure of Manchester is built up of numerous transport modes and forms an integral part of the structure Greater Manchester and North West England...
- Transport Innovation Fund (TIF)Transport Innovation Fund (TIF)The Transport Innovation Fund was a transport funding mechanism in England, that has been replaced by the Urban Challenge Fund in March 2010. Its creation was announced by Her Majesty's Government in the July 2004 White Paper, ’The Future of Transport’...
External links
- www.agma.gov.uk, for the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities
- unitedcity.co.uk, website of United CityUnited CityUnited City is a group of businesses based within Greater Manchester, England, who supported proposals for congestion charging in Greater Manchester via the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund bid for £3 billion. The bid was rejected by a referendum on 12 December 2008...
- www.gmmgroup.co.uk, for the Greater Manchester Momentum Group
- www.gmtu.gov.uk, about the GMTU:SATURN software
- www.tifreferendumreturningofficer.com, official website of the Greater Manchester Transport Referendum
- www.21centurytransport.com - video about the future of transport in Manchester