Following months of uncertainty, rumour and debate, the green light has been given which could see road pricing hit the region in five years' time.

Under proposals now under consultation, Manchester and its outskirts would be divided into two zones, which motorists would have to pay up to £2 to cross. In return, the city would get £3bn to improve public transport.

If given the go ahead, by 2013 it could cost up to £5 a day for anyone commuting in and out of the city for work – and for tens of thousands of Lancashire motorists who do just that, it has suddenly become the biggest transport issue in years.

The Lancashire Evening Post takes the debate to the very top – Sir Howard Bernstein, the chief executive of Manchester City Council and arguably the biggest advocate of the congestion charge in the region.

There has been much debate on what the charge could mean for Greater Manchester, but what – we asked him – will it really mean for Lancashire's drivers?

"We are spending considerable sums of money to improve reliability, to improve the capacity of public transport, and that will include obviously rail services from Lancashire," he explains.

"What we get told all the time by commuters from Lancashire is they would love to be able to access public transport but some of those trains have standing room only.

"Significantly increasing the capacity of the rail service at the moment will give people an option they don't have at the moment."

In reality, he explains, that is likely to mean more direct bus links, bigger trains, improved stations, longer platforms and an end to the 'sardine can' atmosphere of most commuter trains.
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Click on the green button above to listen to Howard Bernstein giving the reasoning behind congestion charges
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But, while it sounds impressive, for those firmly ensconced in the 'believe it when we see it brigade' there is a serious note of caution to be heeded.

"It is fair to say that what I can't guarantee is on the back of our Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) bid all of Lancashire's public transport system will be transformed," he continues.

"But I believe, working with Lancashire authorities, we can make a big difference over the next five years."

In other words, while Manchester will get a £3bn cash boost from the Government, it is going to be up to our councils to dig deep if commuters here are going to notice much of a difference.

But Sir Howard is confident they will.

"There are, or should be, opportunities for joint working between Greater Manchester and Lancashire authorities about how we align, to a greater extent than we have done in the past, our future investment plans," he adds.

Consultation

"Lancashire spends money on transport, Greater Manchester spends money on transport, what we need to do over the coming years is align those spending programmes."

If longer trains are introduced into the city, he adds, stations, platforms and facilities along the entire route will have to be improved.

Meanwhile, MPs in the region have demanded a major consultation on Manchester's congestion charge be extended to this county as well.

Looking at the proposal in black and white it is not hard to see why.

With the charge applying heading into the city in the morning and out in the evening, it is surely Lancashire's commuters who will suffer with the charges, while those already in Manchester or heading out of it for work will not pay at all.

It is a hard blow to take, especially as many see the congestion charge as nothing more than another tax on motorists – a way for the north west's regional centre to coin in our cash.

'Refutes'

"If only life was that easy," said Sir Howard. "Those (commuters) are the journeys which are contributing to congestion most and if we don't tackle congestion we are going to see our labour markets dwindle in size over the next five years.

"That means people who look to the regional centre now for jobs are going to find fewer jobs to be accessed in the future. That is not good news for Lancashire, that is not good news for Greater Manchester."

Sir Howard was due on Friday to meet the chief executives of all Lancashire councils to discuss the charge and, while he has ruled out a referendum on the issue outside Greater Manchester, he does not rule out consultation.

"I can assure everybody, including your readers, that any comments we receive will be fully taken into account and we are very happy to answer any questions," he said.

He also strongly refutes the accusation that the charge is nothing more than a tax on motorists.

"People assume that they are not paying a charge now," he says "There is a hidden cost of sitting in cars in traffic queues, it wastes time and time costs money whether you are a commuter or a business person."

Read the full story - and see a question and answer feature with Howard Bernstein - in our four-page traffic and transport special in Friday's Lancashire Evening Post.

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