"It'll Never Work"

Just like our own city, where the congestion pricing issue has [risen from the dead], Manchester is also set to join London in the congestion pricing scheme. Over at the Manchester Evening News blog, John Jeffray [offers his thoughts](http://blogs.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/exposure/2007/07/congestion_charging_itll_never.html) on why congestion won't work. Quote:

A couple of weeks ago I made the mistake of taking a taxi through rush-hour London. Like a provincial idiot I thought it would be as quick as the Tube. I missed my train from Euston, I missed the one after that, and I just about made the one after that.

When I say the traffic was bumper to bumper I mean there was so little space bewteen cars that pedestrians couldn't squeeze between them.

And London's supposed to be a congestion charge success story.

Well, that's because congestion [has been steadily rising] in London since the initial drop following the approval of the congestion charge. Manchester elected officials are also attempting to [block a referendum](http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1011/1011749_ccharge_gets_public_approval.html) on the congestion scheme, with supporters of the proposal stating that the plan cannot be truly understood in a yes-or-no question.

They don't understand the issue, huh? [Sound familiar]?