This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/manchester/7778110.stm

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Voters reject congestion charge Voters reject congestion charge
(10 minutes later)
The people of Greater Manchester have voted against plans to introduce a congestion charge in the region.The people of Greater Manchester have voted against plans to introduce a congestion charge in the region.
Nearly 2m people were asked if they supported a £2.8bn investment in regional transport, which included the peak-time charge.Nearly 2m people were asked if they supported a £2.8bn investment in regional transport, which included the peak-time charge.
A majority of voters in all of the region's 10 boroughs voted against the controversial plans.A majority of voters in all of the region's 10 boroughs voted against the controversial plans.
It means the application for government Transport Innovation Fund (TiF) cash will not now go ahead.It means the application for government Transport Innovation Fund (TiF) cash will not now go ahead.
Jason Torrence, who supported the charge, said: "This is a sad day. This was a innovative solution, which would have put Manchester in the premier league of cities in the world."
Immediately after the result was announced, officials in the 'Yes' campaign told BBC News they were "disappointed with the voting turnout".
The overall turnout across the 12 local authorities was 53.2%.
Those against the proposals claimed the charge would have been an unfair tax on motorists, while those in favour had maintained it was a chance to create the best public transport system in the UK.
Motorists would have paid to cross two charging rings at peak times. The outer ring roughly follows the M60 orbital motorway, while the inner ring surrounds Manchester city centre.