Delays to clean air zone charges in Greater Manchester
The so-called 'Clean Air Zone' would cost buses, coaches, lorries, vans and taxis up to £100 a day to drive on our roads.
Plans to introduce a daily penalty for some of the most polluting vehicles on the region’s roads are facing delays.
The so-called 'Clean Air Zone', which would cost buses, coaches, lorries, vans and taxis up to £100 a day to drive in, could still be implemented across Greater Manchester by 2021.
It comes after the government was accused of failing to fund scrappage schemes and offered just £36m towards enforcement cameras the proposal.
But delays to a consultation which will now take place later than originally planned, means that the city-region’s 10 councils will not publish its final proposals by the end of the year as instructed.
This means that Greater Manchester’s authorities will not meet the timetable set out by ministers last year.
The council has blamed a lack of clarity from the government for the delays.
It said: “Despite this delay to undertaking a Statutory Consultation, in view of the 2019 Ministerial Direction, GM must continue to proceed towards developing the implementation and contract arrangements of a charging Clean Air Zone in Greater Manchester utilising the initial tranche of £36m funding.”
A report outlining the next steps is expected this Spring.