On Friday 31st October, the AGMA Executive agreed the final changes to the Transport Innovation Fund package, in preparation for the referendum in December.

The key changes to note are:

• Bus fares across Greater Manchester will be capped at two or three levels – eg, one for short journeys and one for longer journeys. Time-limited travel is also being considered under the proposals for a ‘smartcard’.
• Minimum wage workers will qualify for a 20% discount on the congestion charge and the same level of discount for bus and tram fares
• The maximum daily congestion charge that anyone could pay will be capped at £5 (instead of £10 as originally proposed)
• Changes to the inner and outer boundaries of the proposed charge, including amendments to the outer ring to take into account community boundaries and a last minute change to the inner ring in Chorlton, putting the boundary along Upper Chorlton Road, rather than Kings Road.
• Funding for 60 additional Yellow School Buses, on top of the original allocation
• An additional stop on the Rochdale Metrolink line to serve the Kingsway Business park

Proposals were also tabled at the meeting to reallocate Local Transport Plan (LTP) funding if TIF goes ahead. This would allow for:

• Measures to reduce congestion between Ramsbottom and Bury – including the posibility of reopening the East Lancashire Railway as a commuter railway.
• Investment in the Blackburn/Bolton/Salford rail corridor, and Salford Crescent station
• A £14million investment to reopen Golborne station
• Further funding for park and ride spaces
• Additional funding for Bolton, Stockport and Wigan (in recognition that they are not benefiting from Metrolink under TIF)
   

All the papers from the meeting are now available on the GM Future Transport website. Registered voters should receive ballot papers by the end of November.