We are opposed to the proposed introduction of a congestion charging scheme (as recently outlined by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities) for the following reasons:

A. It is a  tax on working people going to and from work and does not take account of ability to pay.

B. The scheme fails to provide commuters with a viable and economical alternative to road travel for their journeys to and from work, as the proposed scheme will be introduced before the full effects of public transport improvements are felt.

C. The proposal does not include in its remit the M60, which is a road with serious congestion problems  - problems which will be exacerbated by the proposed scheme.

D. The scheme does not consider the environmental impact of increased congestion on the M60 to those residents of the Borough living nearby, such as poor air quality and noise pollution.

E. The proposal will split communities in two - those on one side of the M60 who will need to pay to travel to Manchester, and those on the other side, who will not.