Following public rejection of congestion charging in Manchester, ways in which the concept could be taken forward are discussed. Issues raised during the public consultation, which considered a mixed scheme using tags for charging and automatic number plate recognition for enforcement, are briefly outlined. Manchester's congestion problems have been tackled by increasing motorway capacity and improving local trunk roads to the point where it is suggested that only a radical demand management intervention will provide any further improvements. Following the reluctance shown regarding payment on an individual basis Greater Manchester Public Transport Executive is now pursuing collective financing by increasing local council tax and ring fencing a significant proportion of government funds for transport improvements and regional funding. It is suggested that once road network improvements have gone as far as they can that is the point at which road user pricing should be part of the road management strategy. Demonstration schemes are preferable such as the scheme operated in Stockholm. It is also considered that the increasing use of consumer electronic devices in the automotive sector could encourage acceptance of the concept.
Abstract