Nxt Manchester — Nov./Dec. 2008 - (Page 19)

Stop the Congestion Charge Why you should Vote NO to the Congestion Charge • It could cost you up to £100 every month or £1200 every year - just to use your car. • Too big - Current proposals would create the world’s largest congestion charging zone - the entire area within the M60 motorway - that’s 80sq miles compared to the original London zone of 8sq miles and zones of 11sq miles in Stockholm and 2sq miles in Rome and Singapore. • Not effective - Over such a large area, the promised improvements will not make public transport a practical, cheap and safe door-to-door alternative to the car for most of us. • Knock on costs for you - Even if you don’t drive, additional costs to business will be passed on to you through shops, pubs and other outlets. • Risk of higher charges and taxes - We will borrow £1.2 billion to pay for the current proposals. It is hoped the congestion charge will pay back this debt, but our councils refuse to release figures to support this. If the numbers don’t add up, we still have to repay the debt which could come from higher charges or increased council tax. • No guarantees - There are no guarantees on charging times, pricing or zone boundaries. In London after just two years, the zone’s size doubled and charges rose by 60%. Our councils’ own documents refer to possible future charging schemes in Bolton, Bury, Wigan, Rochdale, Oldham, Ashton, Stockport and Altrincham. • Out on our own - Edinburgh, Birmingham, Norwich and Cambridge have already said No to congestion charging, current proposals will make Greater Manchester a uniquely expensive place to live and work. • Not the only solution - There are many unexplored alternative ways to reduce congestion and fund transport improvements that would not require a charge, we must explore them fully. £1200 a year just to drive your car? Your vote will stop it Vote NO in the referendum Ballot papers out late November Post your vote early! find out more at www.stopthecharge.co.uk http://www.stopthecharge.co.uk http://www.stopthecharge.co.uk

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Nxt Manchester — Nov./Dec. 2008

Nxt Manchester – Nov./Dec. 2008 Contents Editor's Notes Nxt Challenge Scott Hider BNW: Angels Den BNW: Pink Ladies BNW: EEF BNW: CarbonZero BNW: Dennis Turner Nxtbook Stateside Nxtbook Europe MP Arlene McCarthy Career Profiles In The Spotlight Avoiding Business Fraud News Nxt News Events Listings (Nov./Dec.) Do the Nxt Challenge

Nxt Manchester — Nov./Dec. 2008

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