1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184 
New lobby group
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
BUSINESS LEADERS in the West Midlands and the NorthWest are teaming up in a bid to make the government take their transport demands more seriously.
Chambers of Commerce in Birmingham, Manchester, North Staffordshire and Liverpool say they suspect ministers are using the M6 Toll as an excuse to ignore the gridlock on the M6.
Jerry Blackett, policy director of Birmingham chamber, says: "We are fed up with 'jam tomorrow' promises on roads. By combining the business voices in both regions we can send even stronger messages to our politicians on issues like this."
Other demands the new lobby group will make include greater investment in rail infrastructure and a shake-up in transport funding, which members claim is biased towards London and the South-East.
Sarah Johnson, policy executive at Manchester chamber, says: "Through more co-operative working we feel we have a better chance to pressure the government into focusing on the real issues."
The Road Haulage Association does not have a specific role within the new group but says it will be involved in some of its discussions (CM 5 August).