Research released this week has revealed that Manchester's roads, with an average speed of 17.4mph, are the fourth slowest in Europe, behind only London, Berlin and Warsaw.

The findings from road analysis website Keepmoving.co.uk will not surprise the city's bus operators, who claim that falling traffic speeds have increased their operating costs, forcing up fares and resulting in some services being withdrawn.

Roger Jones, chairman of Greater Manchester PTA, said that the figures supported the Transport Innovation Fund bid, which will require road user charging to be introduced in the region.

"The Keep Moving figures concerning traffic congestion in Manchester come as no surprise to our region's politicians - or indeed anyone who regularly uses Greater Manchester's road network," he remarked.

"The survey highlights the need for our TIF bid to be successful so that we can fund the massive investment in public transport that Greater Manchester needs - tackling the rising congestion at the time and the place it occurs - as we continue to compete with other major European cities for inward investment and new jobs."

In July, the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities submitted a bid to the Department for Transport for TIF funding. If successful, the bid will result in a £3bn public transport revolution for Greater Manchester, followed by the introduction of a limited, peak-time congestion charge.

Keepmoving generates traffic speed information by analysing vehicle-based GPS data.