Manchester's Future Transport Plans

[CTCREP]

Ignoring the controversy over the Congestion Charge – there will be plenty of people taking part in this – I wish to bring to peoples notice one glaring omission in the Plan as outlined in their leaflet that GMC have distributed. It makes no mention of Cycling.

With present thinking on carbon emissions and congestion, one of the major factors in congestion is the school run. Surely providing Safe Routes to Schools should take a prominent part in any Transport Plan. Manchester’s proposals are to buy hundreds of yellow buses – how hundreds more vehicles on the road cuts congestion is difficult to understand, but even if it did, the cost is enormous and on going - purchase, maintenance, insurance, fuel, staffing, scheduling – the list is endless and continuous. Creating Safe Routes to Schools – not an impossibility as some would like you to think – once in place would only require the occasional sweeping and no major expense for probably 10 years. Furthermore enabling cycling would allow students freedom to take part in extra-mural studies, they would be healthier – the obesity problem would probably disappear – and our future Highways Engineers etc would be able to understand and accept that Cycling should Always be part of any Transport Plan.

So, although your main concern may be the congestion charge, and certainly if you want to see a better future for your children or grandchildren, then please go to www.gmfuturetransport.co.uk and say that Cycling should take a prominent part in any Future Transport Plan.

Thank you