Benefits of the Congestion Charge for Cheshire

So, after ringing the information line and getting help navigating the website (I don't usually struggle with these things, but there you go), I discovered that GM Future Transport have a document about the congestion charge and "What it means for Cheshire".

I should be noted that whilst I didn't find the website that easy to navigate, it is exceptionally pretty.

I was quite enthralled by this doc at first. I'd assumed that they'd forgotten to think about us at all. After all, we're not really being consulted (a stand outside Tesco's doesn't really count) and we don't get to vote on the plans - even though the recent case for creating East Cheshire council highlighted how reliant we are on Manchester for many elements of our economy.

So I was well chuffed that they'd put some thought into how if effects Cheshire.

Except they hadn't.

Most of the doc is general guff about the charge, and then a tiny "Cheshire" section highlights that there will be park & rides, and a few extra carriages on trains. It also has the delightful paragraph:

"The TIF Package cannot provide answers to all of the region's transport needs"

Lets not beat about the bush. The TIF package doesn't provide any answers to this part of the regions transport needs (ie, East Cheshire into Manchester).

Think about what we have on a scale like this:

1. Useless -> 2. Inconvenient but just usable -> 3. Convenient but unpleasant -> 4. Perfect

Rough, I know. But work with me.

They're trying to take us from 3 to 4 by ensuring everyone gets a seat - mainly because when you say to someone "Should we ensure there are always seats on the train" people will say yes. I mean, who wouldn't?!

But what we have at the moment is somewhere hovering between 1 and 2.

We don't need bigger trains, we need ones at times that are useful and mean we don't have to leave the pub in Manchester before last orders. We need buses that don't take three hours to cover the distance I can drive in 30 minutes. We need to be able to get somewhere near the metrolink extension where we can easily jump on (I assume we won't be able to Park and Ride at Manchester Airport).

The major problem at the moment is that we can't get anywhere except rail to the centre of Manchester, and we're severly limited by the timings etc of that. Unless you can provide this alternative, driving is the only option and the congestion charge just becomes a compulsory tax.