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Andy Burnham reveals new Clean Air Zone plan would be a ‘non-charging zone’
Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone was supposed to come into force this month, but was pushed back following region-wide back lash
Mayor Andy Burnham has revealed he will be requesting permission to have a non-charging clean air zone for Greater Manchester.
Since its announcement last year, the controversial plans to charge certain motorists to drive within Greater Manchester was met with overwhelming backlash, with many saying the proposed Clean Air Zone would leave small and independent businesses bankrupt.
The charges, which were originally poised to come into force in this month, would have included £60 for HGVs, buses and coaches, £10 for vans and £7.50 for taxis and private hire cars.
Following region-wide protests on the matter, Greater Manchester Councils voted to refer the scheme back to the government at the start of the year, with them now having until July 2022 to revise the plan.
And giving an update on the progress of the revised scheme at a press conference this morning, the mayor unveiled his plans to introduce a new ‘non-charging’ zone for the region.
As reported by the BBC’s Kevin Fitzpatrick, Burnham outlined a new plan for a ‘non-charging zone’, that affects buses, coaches, HGVs and taxis.
Read More: Boris Johnson says Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone is ‘completely unworkable’
These vehicles will reportedly be offered grants to ‘upgrade to cleaner vehicles rather than face daily charges’, though the government will have the final say on this.
Burnham will be requesting permission from the government to implement this newly revised scheme before the July 2022 deadline.
The Clean Air Zone was originally designed in an attempt to ‘protect everyone’s health by bringing harmful nitrogen dioxide air pollution at the roadside within legal limits’.
The government initiated the idea after the Supreme Court found it had broken the law by failing to protect people from polluted air.
In response, they placed legal instructions to ‘clean up the air’ on local councils across the country, with all ten Greater Manchester councils being directed to collectively reduce air pollution across the region by 2024.
Visit the official Clean Air Greater Manchester website for more information.