Manchester's explosive charge

Manchester may have followed London in announcing a congestion charge, but don’t assume it will offer disabled people an exemption, says Helen Smith

It always amazes me that so many disabled people assume that they will automatically be exempt from congestion charges.

At June’s Mobility Roadshow, I was manning the stand for Mobilise, where I am director of policy and campaigns. This gave me an opportunity to ask show visitors if they had concerns about Manchester announcing that it will be introducing a congestion charge.

Many people were of the view that since blue badge-holders don’t have to pay the charge in London, they will not have to pay anywhere else. However, the only reason that all blue badge-holders are exempt from the London congestion charge is that Mobilise campaigned successfully for a complete exemption. Without intervention, it’s likely that blue badge-holders would have been liable to pay up to £40 a week just to use their cars in the capital. But just because this exemption was granted in London, it doesn’t mean that it will be the same for other towns and cities that introduce a congestion charge.

It concerns me that the government is happy to leave the decision on who should qualify for an exemption up to local councils. When Mobilise chairman Douglas Campbell and I met with transport minister Rosie Winterton earlier this year to push for a national exemption from all congestion charging for blue badge-holders, this was refused. We were told: “Local councils understand the transport needs of local blue badge-holders and so it should be left for them to make the decision.”

Mobilise strongly believes that the decision on exemptions should be made at government level, and we are campaigning hard on this principle.

When the charge is introduced in Manchester in 2013, motorists can expect to pay up to a total of £5 a day at peak times for crossing the M60 and a second ring around the city centre.

When I contacted AGMA (the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities) to find out whether disabled people will be exempt from the charge or not, I was told: “It has been proposed that blue badge-holders are granted a 100 per cent discount from the congestion charge currently being considered in Greater Manchester.

We are waiting for the Department for Transport’s current review of policy guidance to be complete before confirming the number of exemptions available for each blue badge-holder.”

So, although it looks like there will be an exemption in Manchester, nothing has yet been confirmed! I therefore urge everyone to join Mobilise’s campaign for a national exemption. It’s possible the next city to bring in congestion charging may not exempt blue badge-holders, and that next city could be yours.

• www.mobilise.info