Background on the Cambridgeshire Transport Commission
An independent panel called the Cambridgeshire Transport Commission was set up by Cambridgeshire County Council in light of mixed responses from the public during a consultation in 2008 on suggested measures to combat congestion in and around Cambridge.
Under the Government's current TIF package, substantial amounts of money are available for investment in transport but only to authorities that consider bringing in a package of improvements including a form of demand management, such as congestion charging.
The County Council put forward proposals to spend £500 million on improving public transport, cycling and walking and the road network and included a form of congestion charging to reduce traffic levels by 10 per cent.
The public were asked their views on plans proposed by the County Council and the consultation showed that over 80% of people said congestion in and around Cambridge is a serious problem, and 65% agreed with the statement that residents in Cambridgeshire need to change their travel behaviour to help ease congestion in Cambridge. While 49% of people were opposed to the principle of congestion charging in itself, 59% of people said they would support charging if attractive alternatives for travelling in and around Cambridge were in place.
The Commission not only looked at proposals made before as part of the Council's Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) package but also assessed whether there were any other ways of tackling the transport problems. A key part of the Commission's work was to ask the views of the public, key organisations and groups in Cambridgeshire and you can see the comments and ideas submitted by clicking on the 'Your Views' section of this website.
The Commission reported back to the County Council in July 2009 and their recommendations will now be debated by Cambridgeshire County Councillors and their partners before any decision of how to move forward is made.