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Manchester is set to be the first city in the UK to levy motorcyclists for using its roads, under controversial new proposals for its forthcoming congestion charge scheme.

Unlike the system that exists in London, whereby bikers can go anywhere for free because they are not deemed to be contributors to traffic, riders in the north-western city are to be charged £5 daily in future for using its most crowded roads.

In putting forward this proposal, Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) is therefore setting something of a precedent and chairman Councillor Roger Jones admitted that there has already been heavy popular criticism of the plans.

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He told Manchester Evening News: "We are currently in the process of carrying out a consultation about the proposed congestion charging scheme and now is the time for people who drive motorbikes or low emission vehicles to lobby us.

"A firm decision about whether to charge these two categories of motorists has still to be finalised and personally I think that they have a good case not to be charged."

Transport minister Dr Stephen Ladyman recently voiced his support for motorcycling, but stated that GMPTA's task of creating a scheme to combat congestion is difficult enough without it having to consider other issues from the outset.

However, the government rates Manchester's congestion problems as relatively light, with scarcely any rise in journey times expected there by 2010, compared to an overall increase of 3.7 per cent anticipated in all urban areas during this period.

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