THIS is a copy of a letter I have sent to David Chaytor and my local councillor. My intention is to raise questions on this issue and make people more aware of the implications of a congestion charge which seems to be going through unquestioned.

I am prompted to ask these questions, I was quite annoyed at the recent announcement that 59 per cent of 1,000 people polled are in favour of a congestion charge. How many of these 1,000 people consulted actually drive into Manchester? I am inclined to think that drivers made up a very small proportion of the number.

Dear Mr Chaytor.

With reference to the recent proposals for a Manchester congestion charge, I am very concerned about the impact of such a scheme and the extra costs that will be experienced by the public.

These proposals seem to be going forward without due consideration and my sceptical view of this is that there are one or two people within the local councils that want to make a name for themselves by creating a legacy for their time in office, not to mention being in charge of a massive budget.

The congestion charge works in London because London already had a transport system that was well integrated and efficient. London was congested throughout the day, not just at peak times, and people have a viable alternative to their cars.

Whilst I understand that the general public's opinions have been invited, we have had little reassurances of how current problems with the transport infrastructure will be dealt with, some of which I list below: Manchester is only congested during the rush hour 8-9am 5-6pm. We do not need a hammer to crack a nut. The tram system is already overcrowded. If more people are expected to not use their cars how will the system cope? The tram pricing is expensive (£4.80 for a return trip from Bury to Manchester, nine miles). Add a return bus journey of £3.50 and you have a five day weekly cost of £41.50 per person from Tottington to Manchester (13 miles). Will there be an oyster card introduced covering all transport as in London?

The bus service in the Manchester areas is covered by numerous companies. Accordingly, a day ticket purchased on a First Travel bus would not cover journeys in South Manchester run by Stagecoach. Indeed, First Travel Buses in the Tottington area are replaced by an independent bus service out of peak hours meaning that a day ticket will not cover a return journey after 8pm. We therefore have to pay again! This would be an extra regressive tax affecting the less well off, who would not be able to afford to use their car to travel. Driving into Manchester would become an elitist event.

London is compact and linked with an efficient, well priced transport system. Provincial towns and cities outside of London are more spread out and do not tend to have a viable transport system. People therefore rely on cars.

These are my concerns and I do not believe any of these points have been covered by the proposers of this new tax. As my MP I would be interested to learn if you have received any reassurances on any of the above points and whether you support this scheme?

I look forward to your comments and thank you for your time.

PHILIP BAKER, Tottington