We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Oppose congestion charging in Manchester, provide no funding for it, and require a referendum before it can be introduced. Keep Manchester free. No road pricing here. No new road tolls. No tax on travel. No government bribes to coerce travellers onto inconvenient and expensive public transport. Congestion charging is very inconvenient for the user. The London scheme only makes a profit due to penalties. Other schemes could lead to unexpected large debts with no way to dispute them. How is the driver to know in advance even roughly how much a journey would cost Road pricing is not about reducing congestion, but pricing private cars off the road. It damages business, commuting and social activity. It hurts most those least able to pay. It requires a vast expensive system to monitor every journey. It is an intolerable interference with our freedom. If the council is determined to press ahead, then let the people of Manchester decide in a fair referendum whether they want congestion charging. Submitted by Michael Douglas of "Sense With Roads" â