No exemption offered for motorcycles in UK’s biggest congestion charge zone

Transport planners are refusing to say whether motorcycles will be charged to enter the UK’s biggest yet congestion charge zone.

Manchester’s transport authority was tight-lipped over the issue as Government announced up to £2.8 billion funding for its plans.

A spokeswoman for the scheme said the funding bid had included a proposal on motorcycles but would not say what it was. She said it would be announced before the end of the month, when a public consultation on the plans would begin. 

The zone is set to extend across Manchester covering 12 times the area of the orginal London zone. The cost of entering will be up to £5 a day, with charging due to beging from 2013.

The spokeswoman said the issue of charges for motorcycles was “something that we have been consulting and discussing and that is part of the bid.

“We can’t say what our recommended suggestion is yet.”

She added: “At the moment we’ve just found out how much money we’ve been assigned from the Government. Now we have to finalise the plans with politicians prior to consultation.”

She said the position on “all minority groups that could look for a discount or not pay a charge” would be announced before the consultation begins next month.

The scheme is intended to deliver improvements to Manchester’s public transport. The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities said it would “deliver a transformed public transport system for Greater Manchester funded in part by a limited peak-time only congestion charge”.

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly said: “This is about creating a world class transport system for a world class city.”

To read why the Motorcycle Action Group thinks we will escape the charges, get MCN, on sale June 18, 2008.