I WAS pleased to read that 82 per cent of votes in the recent poll about the congestion charge conducted on The Bolton News website went to the “no” camp. So far as I can see, Bolton will benefit to the absolute minimum from this charge.

We keep hearing about the new bus station we will get. Other towns have had new bus stations (Chorley, Oldham) without any mention of a congestion charge to pay for them.

The charging zone for Greater Manchester is absolutely enormous. London’s charging zone applies to the city only — not miles around it.

Also, London had a wonderful public transport system before the charge was even thought of. In contrast, ours is abysmal. We get everyone else’s old buses and timetables that cannot be believed. When we complain about buses not turning up, we are just shrugged off with any lame excuse, or none at all.

The actual charge will not apply to me as I do not travel in rush hours, but just think about those who work in Manchester — you would have to be on a very good salary indeed for the £25 per week not to be a worry.

Also, there is no saying that it is going to stop at £5 a time — once in place, what is going to stop them from putting it up to £10 or £15?

May I appeal to all who backed Cllr John Walsh — leader of the Conservative group in Bolton — in the online vote, to be certain to vote when we get the ballot papers, just so the powers-that-be realise just how many of us there are against this extra tax on hardworking people.

Mrs P M Allen, Staton Avenue, Bolton