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Manchester road toll will affect 1 in 5 drivers, says MP

09/06/2008

Tony Lloyd, MP for central Manchester, has said charging drivers for using busy routes in Greater Manchester will only affect a fifth of motorists.

He was speaking on BBC One's The Politics Show after the government agreed to help finance public transport improvements in Manchester on the condition that a road toll is introduced.

A public consultation will be announced this week, with residents and businesses across Greater Manchester given the chance to give their views on plans to implement two congestion zones around the city centre.

"For the motorist, maybe 20 per cent of motorists will be affected by this because this isn't a 24-hour-a-day or even an all-working day congestion charge," Mr Lloyd stated.

"It's something very specific at peak periods and it's very limited in the areas where it applies."

He also said the "overwhelming majority" of people in the city-region will benefit from investment in the Metrolink, trains and buses.

A recent report by Keepmoving.co.uk revealed that Manchester is one of Europe's slowest-moving cities, with traffic moving at an average of 17 mph.