550,000 drivers slapped with new Clean Air Zone rules

James Rodger

23 September 2024 at 9:39 am·2-min read

Greater Manchester is preparing to submit an updated Clean Air Plan to the Government — -Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)

A major city in the UK with 550,000 people plans to deliver a new Clean Air Zone plan "as soon as possible". Greater Manchester is preparing to submit an updated Clean Air Plan to the government following strong action from Labour Party politician and Mayor Andy Burnham to avoid introducing a charging scheme.

Plans to introduce daily charges for taxis, vans, lorries, buses and coaches which do not meet emissions standards were put on hold in 2022, following a huge public backlash. With the policy aiming to improve air quality in Greater Manchester, the borough-wide scheme was eventually agreed to be "unworkable" and a new plan has been created.

Commenting on the new update, Councillor Eamonn O'Brien, Bury Council Leader and Clean Air lead for Greater Manchester, said poor air quality was having a huge impact on all residents. He added: "We have a longstanding commitment to cleaning up our air and Greater Manchester has carried out a tremendous amount of work to get us to a place where we are seeing air quality improvements.

"Given some of the changes that have occurred in the last nine months, there was a need to adapt and update our proposals for an investment-led, non-charging GM Clean Air Plan. We’re now in a position where that work has been done and, subject to approvals, we can submit our updated plan to the new Government as soon as possible and await their decision."

The preferred plan would still mean that there would be no charges for any vehicle driven on a road in the city-region, as well as investment in new buses and a fund to help taxi drivers upgrade their vehicles. Modelling shows the plan would meet a legal requirement to improve air quality by 2026 at the latest, rather than in 2025, as stated in GM’s 2023 submission to government.

The government will decide what the final clean air plan includes.

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