TfGM says it has no plans for a Greater Manchester congestion charge
Drivers and fleets operating in Greater Manchester face no congestion charge under Transport for Greater Manchester's current plans, even as a Manchester City Council report puts the cost of the region's congestion at £1.3bn a year. TfGM says it is investing in the Bee Network instead.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has said there are no plans for a congestion charge anywhere in Greater Manchester. In Local Democracy Reporting Service copy published by ManchesterWorld on 4 November, a TfGM spokesperson said: "There are no plans for a congestion charge in any part of Greater Manchester, instead we are investing heavily in the Bee Network to give people a reliable alternative to getting in their car."
The statement came as a Manchester City Council report, published on 3 November, put the cost of the region's congestion at £1.3bn a year to the economy. The report said traffic was damaging the regional economy and causing delays and air-quality problems.
The council report said congestion in Manchester is back to pre-pandemic levels, and that a key priority for the council is getting more people to switch from cars to active travel. A recent TfGM report found traffic levels across Greater Manchester are three per cent above 2019 levels.
A council spokesperson said: "We have known for some time that Manchester is reaching the upper limits of how many vehicles can be accommodated by the current network."
TfGM said it will invest heavily in public transport, with £2.5bn of government money set to flow into the region between 2027 and 2032 and plans to bring railway lines into the Bee Network from December 2026. A TfGM spokesperson said: "One tram full of people could replace around 200 cars on the road and a double decker bus around 75, demonstrating the benefits of getting more people on board the Bee Network."
At a council scrutiny meeting on 3 November, Reform UK councillor Dylan Evans argued that more cycle lanes could make congestion in Manchester worse. Labour councillor Mandie Shilton Godwin, who leads on transport in Manchester, said the focus had to be on improving walking, cycling and public transport.
For comparison, Transport for London said that in the first year after London's congestion charge was introduced in 2003, congestion within the zone fell 30 per cent and circulating traffic fell 15 per cent. It said bus travel rose 33 per cent.
Sources
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