Greater Manchester is likely to opt today to become the first region outside London to introduce road pricing, with a scheme that could cost drivers up to £5 to take cars into the city centre and out again.
It is claimed that the scheme would create the world's biggest charging zone and would be 12 times bigger than London's original congestion charge area.
Its supporters see it as the only way to deal with a morning and evening commuter crawl that could lose the region an estimated 30,000 jobs over the next 15 years if nothing is done.
Ministers have demanded a traffic management deal in return for making £3bn available from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) for 31 public transport improvements which would put more than 200 extra buses on the region's roads, complete the tram system (including a line to Manchester international airport) and add extra carriages to crowded trains.
The money would be made up of a £1.2bn grant and £1.8bn borrowed against tolls drivers will pay over a 30-year period.
There have been mutterings that the scheme amounts to blackmail, and the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTE), made up of councillors from the 10 Greater Manchester authorities, have to decide today whether to grab the government's money.
Conservative-controlled Trafford and Lib-Dem Stockport have already announced that they will vote no. Stockport said charging was "dead in the water" after a poll which revealed deep local opposition. Trafford said its decision came after "full and proper consultation" with residents and businesses.
Labour also has its divisions: Sir Richard Leese, leader of the city council, is in favour but his predecessor, Graham Stringer, now MP for Manchester Blackley, is not. "If more than three councils vote against, I don't think we will be putting in a bid for cash from the fund," said Roger Jones, chairman of the GMPTE.
"I wish I could think of an alternative system that would work," he said. "But I have never heard anyone respectable tell me how we can control traffic over the next 10 years without road pricing."
Cambridgeshire has already submitted a bid to the TIF and West Midlands is considering its bid. But Manchester is aiming to grab the lion's share of the money.
"What would give me a kick is if we could beat every other city on this," added Mr Jones. But he said even a yes vote today would be followed by "months of tough negotiations with ministers".
Motorists would pay a charge during rush hour to use the congestion areas. The GMPTE says it will be introduced only after all public transport improvements are complete - probably late in 2012.
At a glance
· The proposed Manchester congestion charge is based on two rings, one roughly following the M60 and the other closer to the city centre.
· The scheme would operate Monday to Friday from 7am to 9.30am for journeys into the city and from 4pm to 6.30pm for journeys out of the city.
· Drivers would pay £2 to cross the outer ring and £1 to cross the inner ring in the morning, and £1 to cross each ring on the way home.
