Cllr Iain Lindley's Diary

Today was In Town Without My Car day in Manchester and Salford. Although I didn’t get chance to go along to the events being held on Victoria Bridge Street, I did pop into town this morning on the train – although admittedly as I don’t have a car for me every trip into Manchester is “in town without my car” day! I’m occasionally trigger-happy with the camera on my phone, so accompanying this post is a picture of the ITWMC banner at Salford Central station.

A few days ago David Ottewell blogged about the Prague public transport network. Here’s the key paragraph:

The connectivity is fantastic, too. Each metro station links with trams and buses that go pretty much anywhere you would want to go. The whole thing is, in short, an almost perfect example of a truly integrated transport system. The only reason to own a car in Prague would be to travel out of the city.

“Connectivity” and “integrated transport”. Two buzz-phrases that have been bandied around since (heaven help us) John Prescott was in charge of public transport at a national level, but will the £3bn TIF proposals deliver an integrated transport system for Greater Manchester?

In Walkden and west Salford, the answer is quite clear – emphatically not.

The centrepiece of the Salford proposals is the white elephant Leigh Guided Busway. The idea that this misguided busway is “integrated” defies belief. Once the busway has passed Salford Crescent, it does not integrate with anything. It does not link up with the rail network or the tram system anywhere, it does not serve our local communities, and the idea that commuters are going to hop onto feeder buses is simply unfeasible.

There are two buses currently using the route the busway will follow – the 32 to Wigan and the X34 to Lowton and Leigh. How many people from Walkden, Worsley, Roe Green, Ellenbrook and Swinton use either of these buses? Very few, because the East Lancashire Road is simply not suitably accessible for local communities in western Salford. When First Bus withdrew the 35 service from the Moorside area, there were (rightly) howls of derision from the local Labour Councillors when First suggested that the 32 and X34 were suitable alternatives – but these same Labour Councillors are expecting local residents to use the busway services which will be from exactly the same place! Indeed, First Bus almost canned the 32 service earlier in the year due to insufficient passenger numbers. The idea that the busway will provide a suitable, accessible service for local residents in Walkden is laughable.

I’ve made my opposition to congestion charging very clear, but what I find most frustrating is the idea that the TIF money is a magic bullet to solve all our transportation problems. It isn’t. Money alone solves nothing – it has to be spent well. In Salford at least, there is a real risk that our Labour politicians will flush our share of any TIF money down the drain without any real benefit to local residents and taxpayers.