Up to 500 motorcyclists mounted a slow convoy into Manchester city centre at rush hour this morning to protest at the rising cost of fuel.
The bikers, who were joined by taxi drivers and about 30 lorry drivers, left Birch services on the M62 at 8am and rode slowly down the motorway.
"In terms of congestion, it's always busy round this part of the world, and at times it can be busier than the M25," said the Highways Agency spokesman Neil Sterio. "Traffic has been slowed down, but it hasn't been too different from normal."
This morning's action was the latest in a string of demonstrations around the country to draw attention to the effects on people's lives of soaring fuel prices. Lorry drivers converged on London and Cardiff last week, and fishers protested outside the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on Tuesday.
The riders, on machines ranging from Harley Davidsons to mopeds, left the M62 at junction 12, taking the M602 towards Manchester before heading to Salford Quays on the A57.
Police operated a rolling roadblock, closing motorway junctions as the convoy passed to prevent traffic breaking into the mass of bikers. No incidents were reported, a police spokeswoman said.
A crowd welcomed them into Salford. Among the onlookers was a garage owner, Michael Cleary, 56, who said: "People are cutting down on servicing because they can't see what they're getting out of it.
"It affects road safety as well because they're not maintaining their vehicles because they're spending all their money on fuel. It's a pity they're not blocking off Downing Street and London too."
The protest was organised by motorcycling clubs around Greater Manchester, largely by word of mouth. Police and the Highways Agency held talks with organisers and decided it was impossible to stop the protest, but warned commuters to take alternative routes if possible.
The convoy came as Labour backbenchers warned Gordon Brown to hold fire on a planned 2p increase in fuel duty this autumn. AA figures show around half of the £1.15 spent on a litre of petrol is made up of tax and VAT.
