Greater Manchester publishes Clear Air plan

Greater Manchester has confirmed that it will push ahead with a Clean Air Zone that would see drivers of heavily-polluting vehicles hit with daily charges.

Vans, buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles and lorries that fail to meet emission standards would be affected by the plans from May 30, 2022.

Heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches would need to pay £60 a day to drive within the zone, with vans paying £10 and taxi and private hire vehicles paying £7.50.

Failure to pay the charge will also result in a £120 fine plus the daily charge. Private vehicles will not fall under the Clean Air Zone.

Air pollution, primarily caused by vehicles, is said to contribute to 1,200 deaths a year in the region, and local authorities have been mandated by the government to improve air quality.

Reaffirming his commitment to the zone, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said on Monday: “Coming out of the pandemic I think we’ve got to get a lot more serious about people’s health and health inequalities that we have in this city-region and across the country.

“We just shouldn’t accept anymore things that harm the health of our residents.

“It’s a fact that it’s the poorest kids in the poorest communities that have to breathe in the most polluted air.

“It’s not something we should ignore anymore.”

The zone was supposed to come into effect this year but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a standoff between councils and the government over funding.

But Mr Burnham confirmed that the combined authority has received the £150m it had asked for to help businesses and individuals with the transition.

Most of the funding – £120m – will help people pay for new cleaner vehicles or upgrade their old ones, while the rest will pay towards infrastructure such as cameras to monitor the roads.

The government has not committed to a hardship fund for those who will be most affected by the zone, but it is understood that they are interested in the idea in principle.

Many businesses and individuals – particularly in the taxi and private hire trade – had raised concerns about the financial impact of switching to cleaner vehicles after the pandemic.

A proposed hardship fund for those who will be most affected by the zone.

Mr Burnham said: “We recognise that it’s a difficult time for businesses who have had a tough time over the past 18 months.

“We have been listening carefully during consultation, and we’ve got a significantly improved financial package as a result of negotiations.

“We think that nwo is enough to meet the principle that I set out that we didn’t want to see a single job or business lost as a result of moving towards a Clean Air Zone in Greater Manchester.”

For the first 12 months of the scheme only buses and heavy goods vehicles will need to pay the daily charge. All other vehicles will not be affected until May 2023.

Studies show that Greater Manchester can still achieve compliance by 2024 even with this grace period, according to Trafford council leader Councillor Andrew Western.

Coun Western, who has led the negotiations with the government over the Clean Air Zone funding, said this would also give those affected a chance to switch or upgrade their vehicles.

Drivers of HGVs, coaches and buses will be able to apply for up to £16,000 to retrofit their vehicles. Taxis, private hire vehicles, lorries and minibuses can bid for up to £5,000.

Taxi and private hire drivers of vehicles which meet Euro 6 emission standards will also be allowed to continue using their cars and will not need to switch to electric vehicles.

Coun Western said: “Nobody in Greater Manchester should be paying that charge, we want to incentivise people to transition to a cleaner fleet.

“We don’t want to charge people, we want to help them to do the right thing.”

Andy Burnham used the announcement to insist that the zone did not amount to a ‘congestion charge’, an accusation which had been levelled against him during the recent election.

He said there would not be a congestion charge ‘as long as I hold the office the mayor’, and referenced the 2008 referendum which saw Greater Manchester soundly reject a charge.

It was also announced that Beryl would be the company that will provide the city-region’s new bike hire scheme which will commence in November this year.

Around 1,500 bikes and 300 e-bikes will become available in the first phase of the scheme in Manchester, Salford and Trafford by mid-2022.

The bikes, affectionately called ‘bee bikes’ by Mr Burnham, will carry the same branding as the Bee Network, the integrated public transport system covering buses, trams, walking, cycling and taxis proposed by the mayor.