Reading vs Cambridge in transport bid

Adam Hewitt • Published 2 Nov 2009 09:00 0 Comments

THE Reading-led Tif bid is no longer the only one likely to be submitted soon - Cambridgeshire County Council this month approved its own £500m bid.

Like Reading, it wants the investment first before considering charging some time after 2017.

Chris Elliot of the Cambridge News reported: "Workers are worried that if it does come in, they will be hugely out of pocket, and small businesses fear it could drive them to the wall."

But the Transport Innovation Fund (Tif) is not a bottomless pot of money, so Reading and Cambridgeshire could harm each other's chances if both bid.

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: "The Tif was established to support places where the strategy was to introduce packages of measures that combine major extra investment in public transport with demand management. Where local authorities decide congestion charging is not the answer to their congestion problems they will continue to receive significant transport investment through existing programmes."

A group of Bristol district councils and Leeds council may also submit bids but are not at as advanced a stage as Reading or Cambridgeshire.

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This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 29 Oct 09

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