THERE have been well-argued letters for and against the proposed Greater Manchester congestion charge on this page and it has not been easy to finally decide which way to vote in the coming postal ballot (to be returned by December 11).

I have eventually decided “No”. For me, when a report on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme mentioned an annual cost of up to £1,200 out of a worker’s pay packet (to travel to and from the centre of Manchester), then it must be a bill too far, given the burden of excessive council tax bills, gas and electric, mortgages, etc.

It is all very well talking about the benefits of countless millions being made available for public transport, but the idea of the likes of the lacklustre and mediocre GMPTA/ GMPTE and Northern Rail getting their hands on even more public taxation is a truly scary thought.

As a well-spoken gent said to me at Littleborough Station recently (awaiting the half-hourly returning Leeds-Manchester Northern service, which was running almost 20 minutes late), “They can never run this service to time, there are always problems with it, yet they expect us to give up our cars and use the trains.”

Sums it up for me — it’s a “No” vote.

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