THE £3 billion investment in Greater Manchester’s public transport and the controversial ‘pay as you go’ proposals will be highlighted at an exhibition to be staged in Radcliffe next Tuesday.

Visitors to the event, to be held at Radcliffe Piazza between 11am and 7pm, will be given the opportunity to find out more about the TIF (Transport Innovation Fund) plans and to ask questions about how a congestion charge might affect them. They can also give their views on the proposals.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) is staging the exhibition in Radcliffe, one of a series being held throughout Greater Manchester. The same event has already visited Bury, Ramsbottom and Prestwich.

Radcliffe members of the public will be able to give their views in a Big Brother-style ‘Diary Room’ and a giant map has been drawn up to help people understand the impact of TIF on their future journeys.

Drivers entering and leaving Manchester city centre at peak times face paying up to £5 at today’s costs.

A TIF spokesman said: “Informing as many people as possible about the TIF package through an exhibition gives us a real opportunity to start a dialogue with residents. We hope lots of people will visit and give us the opportunity to answer questions.”

Response to the 14-week consultation exercise will enable the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) to confirm details of the TIF proposals, including the exact location of the inner ring, precise details of the charging points around the outer ring and discounts for specific groups of drivers. Subsequently, the proposals are to be put to a public referendum, expected in December.

A full report on the consultation findings will be published after the consultation is complete and made available at libraries and on the gmfuturetransport.co.uk website