I AM pleased that your regular correspondent Peter Johnston at last accepts that Conservatives are totally opposed to congestion charging affecting Bolton.

He does however need to be reminded that motorists already pay too much tax with road tax, fuel duty and VAT and insurance tax.

Improvements to public transport should come from these taxes, not another Labour stealth tax.

David Cameron has said this on many occasions, including his several visits here to Bolton, reported in your newspaper.

I hope this once and for all sets out the Conservative position so that none of your readers are in any doubt.

The latest attempt by Gordon Brown to try to get us out of the economic mess he oversaw as Chancellor is to follow Keynesian economic policy and spend on public works. Surely, therefore, investment in public transport is an ideal way to follow his new policy.

After all, Moor Lane Bus Station was first built as such a project in the 1930s!

Perhaps it is also worth reflecting that under Labour control until June, GMPTA spent around £15 million submitting and promoting the bid based on congestion charges.

How much better if that cash had been spent on, say, the new bus station in Bolton or improvements to bus services, rather than being squandered at the behest of Ruth Kelly before she was “sacked” as Transport Secretary.

As a matter of interest, the experts claim that congestion charging will reduce traffic into Manchester by 10 to 12 per cent.

Latest figures show that Labour’s recession has reduced traffic by more than 15 per cent already.

Has anyone noticed any great improvement?

I urge everyone to vote NO when they get their ballot papers shortly.

Cllr John Walsh, Leader of the Conservative Group, Bolton Council