The amendments will be discussed at a crunch meeting of councils across Greater Manchester tomorrow (Friday).

But Mr Gwynne’s solution that drivers would only pay the charge if they crossed both the outer and inner ring has been completely discarded.

He said: "What really annoys me is AGMA have missed the opportunity to resolve the issue of local travel. They gave the impression they were about to make a major announcement about how the charge was going to work. Both myself and David Heyes were fully expecting them to run with the idea of only triggering the charge if motorists passed through both rings. The fact is people will still have to pay for driving from one side of Denton or Audenshaw to the other during peak times. That is wrong. How can they be causing congestion in Manchester city centre?

"The Snipe is now free from the charge, but what about people making local journeys across Newmarket Road, Audenshaw Road, Windmill Lane, Lumb Lane or junction 24 of the M60,  Even with the discount for people on minimum wage, they will still have to pay £17 a week in order to get to work which wipes out the increase the government agreed just weeks ago. They are actually getting a pay cut. Congestion in Tameside is at its worst through the Longdendale villages and at junction 24 of the M60 in Denton. Nothing in the proposals will sort that out.

"The charge should simply be triggered if you cross Mancunian Way or Trinity Way in the city centre. Instead we have the largest geographical charging zone in the world. It’s ridiculous."

People will vote in a postal ballot in December on whether to accept the proposals. Voting papers are due to go out at the end of next month, with a voting deadline of 11 December. The bid would mean more than £2.75bn ploughed into transport schemes.