Transport bosses have set out what a new Clean Air Zone would look like if Greater Manchester is required to introduce daily charges for some vehicles. Local leaders insist they no longer want any charges but the government has told them to look at plans for charging certain vehicles in the city centre only.
It comes around a year after the controversial scheme to charge taxis, vans, buses and lorries across all of the city-region's roads - except for motorways - was put on hold following a public backlash. Since then, Greater Manchester has called for an 'investment-led approach' instead of charging any vehicles.
READ MORE: One year on from the Clean Air Zone being paused, where are we now?
This means owners of vehicles which do not meet emissions standards would be offered funding for cleaner models, instead of paying daily penalties. Local authorities - who have been instructed to tackle illegal levels of pollution on the city-region's roads - put this new proposal to the government last summer.
However, last month the government asked for more evidence to show that this approach would be the quickest way of cleaning up the air. This includes analysing the impact introducing charges only in the city centre would have.
This modelling data which will be used to compare the two approaches is now being prepared, but it will not be ready until the end of June. Mayor Andy Burnham has said that local leaders will still be calling for all Clean Air Zone charges to be scrapped, but he explained that it is now 'highly unlikely' that any charges would be introduced other than in parts of Manchester and Salford.
Buses, taxis, vans and lorries could have to pay
Transport bosses have now set out what the Clean Air Zone would look like if charges were imposed. The only area where any vehicles would be charged under the new 'benchmark' Clean Air Zone is within the inner relief road.
This means that vehicles travelling on the Mancunian Way, Great Ancoats Street or Trinity Way would not be charged unless they enter the city centre. Like the previous plans, cars would be exempt from any charges but buses, taxis and lorries which do not meet emissions standards would have to pay.
Unlike the previous plans, Greater Manchester's 'starting point' is now for vans to be exempt from charges. But according to a report, Greater Manchester has been asked to model a Category C zone as well which would see vans charged.
The daily charges would be the same as previously proposed – £7.50 for taxis and private hire vehicles, £60 for buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles and £10 for vans and minibuses. The funding available for vehicle upgrades would also be the same as before, but transport bosses will look at the impact of increasing the value of these grants by 22.5 pc to account for inflation.
The report, which was presented to councillors on Greater Manchester's Air Quality Administration Committee on Monday (February 27), also says that the earliest realistic start date for the scheme would be 2024. This is to allow time for a public consultation on city centre charges and move signs and cameras.
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However, local leaders are calling for the cash offered for vehicles upgrades to be opened up as soon as possible. Bury council leader Eamonn O'Brien, who now chairs the committee, said Greater Manchester has already had some early discussions with the government about opening up certain funds soon.
He said: "The investment-led non-charging zone remains the policy of the 10 local authorities. We believe it can be delivered.
"We believe it should be started as soon as possible so that we can get that investment out of the door and into the wider community. But clearly, there are still some hurdles to jump through from government before we're in a position to do that."
The government has also requested further evidence of how illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide on the A58 Bolton Road in Bury will be addressed. Transport bosses have said this will be done by rolling out new zero emissions buses in the area when the first buses are brought under public control later this year.
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