Manchester No vote prompts call for bus re-regulation

The referendum needed seven out of the county’s 10 districts to say Yes to the plans, which would have triggered £3bn of public transport improvements via the Government’s Transport Innovation Fund (TIF).

More than one million people voted, and every single borough returned a resounding No. The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority has now pledged to put the legacy of the failed bid to good use.

Reacting to the near 80% No vote share, Manchester Blackley MP, Graham Stringer, a member of the House of Commons transport committee, said: ‘It will be a tough call, but we should start the re-regulation of buses now. We need to put back together the alliances which make Greater Manchester work, and put as much pressure as possible on the Government.

‘If we want to get people to accept congestion charging, we have to reduce their road taxes.’

The TIF package would have extended the Metrolink light rail network and improved bus and rail services. Both Stagecoach and First had planned to spend millions on new buses, if the plans had gone ahead.

Stagecoach Manchester managing director, Mark Threapleton, said: ‘Three billion pounds of funding doesn’t come along every day, and with congestion growing at the rate it is, the area needed a radical solution which would combat the problem now and in the future.’

The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) had promised HGV exemption from any congestion charge for 12 months, in an attempt to appease the powerful lobby.

Roger King, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, said after the result: ‘Despite this rejection, the RHA believes steps must be taken to reduce congestion and thus improve commercial delivery times. ‘We would welcome HGV’s being allowed into bus lanes at least for a trial period. Failure to get approval for one scheme should not shut the door on other initiatives.’

The bid has so far cost £22M, and GMPTA, controlled by a Conservative/Lib Dem coalition, is already working on new plans. Tory chairman, Councillor Matt Colledge, said: ‘As a result of the dedicated work and extensive consultation that has gone into preparing such an enormously-intricate bid, we now have a clear set of transport investment priorities and business cases for Greater Manchester. We are committed to ensuring this legacy is put to good use by working hard with the Government to establish alternative ways to deliver these schemes, which remain critical to the future of our economy.’