Re: Manchester votes for congestion charge.


"David Horne" <d4g4h4@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1i1z38n.1i1ipa5nb8qhxN%d4g4h4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I agree with it in principle - but only for city centre
commuters,
as
public transport into the city centre is already pretty good
from
practically everywhere.

It's not good enough, as the congestion on routes into the city
demonstrate.

But the congestion is caused by too many cars. Too many cars is
not
necessarily caused by lack of PT - some people simply refuse to
use PT
(except planes - they somehow don't regard air travel as PT...
duh!).

But they also refuse to use PT because they don't think it's good
enough, or reliable. The metrolink is reliable enough, but it's
overcrowding must surely put some people off. Similarly, if you get
better bus services, more people will think of using them.

The bus services along the main routes in/out of the city centre are
very good IME, although I find a couple of things very annoying - the
attempt to adhere to timetable (which means the drivers often stop for
a few minutes just because they're early), and the long delays caused
by queues of people buying tickets off the driver.

The metrolink doesn't have timetables, so why bother with the frequent
bus services like the 135 - they're practically useless anyway - just
give the frequency. The ticket problem could easily be solved by using
the sorts of systems they use in Europe, like being able to buy
tickets in advance at newsagents and validating them on the bus, and
have an exact change only change counter for people who pay in coins.

Yes - but people making cross town journeys often need to commute
some
of the way on the congested routes into the city centre. PT is
not a
reasonable alternative for many such journeys if the only reliable
route is via the city centre.

I agree, but it's still hard to get a good balance. The motorway is
the
best way to circle around the city, but that works well for cars-
less
well for buses, with bus stops etc.

A circular tram route would be very useful, maybe a little way inside
the M60, say
Prestwich-Middleton-Oldham-Ashton-Hyde-Stockport-Trafford-Eccles-Swint
on-Prestwich, and would ease crowding on the in/out of the city
routes.

although there are problems on the M60 as you no doubt
know. (I saw it from the tram as it crossed over!) The plans for
charging (as they stand now) would be less for a journey like
Prestwich-Rochdale.

A Rochdale to Prestwich commute would cost more than a Prestwich
to
city centre commute, which is ridiculous!

I agree, if that's the case.

The proposal is £2 to cross the M60 inwards peak hours and £1 to cross
the inner ring (they've not decided where that'll be - possibly the
intermediate ring - A6010/A576 etc). Outwards £1 for each ring in peak
hours.

So Besses to Prestwich will cost more than Prestwich to Manchester!

--
Andy


.

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