Just a reminder FWIW that today is the last day of the consultation process(*) on the above
www.gmfuturetransport.co.uk/consultation/response/
n.b. should you visit the site, the first box is the only one in which you can express any opinion on the matter, subsequent questions are about your travel habits/ethnic background/inside leg measurement
(*) I refer you to the 'Does Public Consultation Work' advert in last weeks 'Private Eye' ;-)
|
I think everyone in Greater Manchester knows thet the result will come out positive, as such consultations always do. I have put in my two penn'th, but know it will be ignored because I live in one of the 'anti' boroughs.
Apparently there is to be a referendum. Two queries:
1. Who will get to vote?
2. Is the result binding?
|
Alastair W,
A referendum is a poll whose result is binding on the legislature.
The word is often mis-used when the writer really means 'opinion poll'.
|
A referendum is a poll whose result is binding on the legislature. The word is often mis-used when the writer really means 'opinion poll'.
There is no referendum and no opinion poll. It's a consultation, and the purpose of a consultation to assess views rather than to weigh them.
A vote just counts for-and-against, but a consultation aims to find out who likes or dislikes proposals as well as why they think that way, and to find out whether there is a better way of doing all or some of the things proposed.
|
but a consultation aims to find out who likes or dislikes proposals as well as why they think that way and to find out whether there is a better way of doing all or some of the things proposed. >>
True, but a local government consultation exists purely to confirm the policy already decided upon.
|
|
|
|
Alastair - is it binding ?
not according to the last Transport minister
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7631763.stm
|
The consultation has indeed finished today.
The referendum papers will go out at last week of November to be returned by post by December 11th. The legal status of this referendum is not actually binding in the sense of a referendum on joining the EU etc., but the councils have agreed that if the populace votes no in more than two thirds of the 10 authorities, the plans will be shelved.
The scheme is just awful, covering nearly 80 sq miles, which would be the world's largest congestion charging zone, saddling Manchester with £1.2bn of debt for precious little improvement in public transport across this vast area.
This may explain why it has no support from either the public or business community.
Edited by Nsar on 10/10/2008 at 22:49
|
What's the threatened charge? Smaller than ours I think especially after its 60% increase.
My guess is that it will be imposed because the Eskimos have fled to Panama with all Manchester's money.
|
The blurb says £5 a day "at 2007" prices to cross the two charging rings during peak hours.
The charge would be introduced in 2013 so given that transport inflation always runs higher than price inflation you're probably looking at £6.50. I think it will be higher still but the economic assumptions have been witheld - so you can draw your own conclusions about from that kind of secrecy.
There are no guarantees of course that the costs or the charging periods won't change when they realise that they've got their numbers wrong or that (miracles of miracles) the costs of building the promised the transport improvements goes over budget.
Manchester hasn't lost in Iceland but another of the councils involved Bolton is in for a big hit.
|
|
|
|
|
_COLON_no_upscale()/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/e33e245b6c78f520dbad3a16902e244e/3673ec8094fede89c304980a53330ef2.jpg)
_COLON_no_upscale()/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/1d865fc9133b06c245664241957557da/89ea8b976d62e6bca6837c53b57f1f64.jpg)
_COLON_no_upscale()/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/d9be51de970c4109efbdaadc0b2ee9a4/4b74dca515a7a68cb159b0853bbd6d7c.jpg)
