“We are not pirates, we are tax collectors”

You might recognise this quotation as coming from the Somalis who are regularly boarding oil tankers and demanding huge ransom payments before they are allowed to continue their voyage.

It could quite easily be something the proponents of the Manchester congestion charge would say. There are striking parallels. The ships’ owners are going about their lawful business, having paid all their dues. Then they are obliged to pay a further sum en route. This money goes directly to improve the living conditions of the pirates’ families and fellow townspeople.

It is claimed that the congestion charge would bring public transport benefits. But whereas the pirates just need a modest boat and some small arms, the overheads required to collect the congestion charge are enormous. Now, on top of the original cost of all the number plate snooping equipment and charging bureaucracy, they are talking about another layer of administration to provide relief for certain hospital users. It’s going to be a giant mess of red tape swallowing a huge proportion of the revenue.

Furthermore, this blunt instrument intended to tackle city centre congestion will have many unintended consequences. Here’s an example of the nonsense. I live in Stockport, some eight kilometres south of Manchester. My nearest hospital, Stepping Hill, is six kilometres further south. Both quite some distance from Manchester city centre, but my home is inside the charging cordon, and the hospital is outside. So if I need to visit the hospital at 4pm on a weekday, I have to pay the Manchester congestion charge. Same applies if I want to go shopping in Stockport, which is only two kilometres from my house but is also just outside the cordon.

However, if I fancy doing some shopping at the Trafford Centre (some sixteen kilometres away) I can drive there any time I want, because I won’t cross the charging cordon. No wonder Stockport council and local tradespeople are against the proposals. If they were to vote ‘yes’ it would be like turkeys voting for an extra Christmas.