A resident is demanding action over the 'horrendous' levels of traffic pollution outside his home.
Stephen Howard, 73, says the rush-hour fumes in Oldham Road, Failsworth, have become unbearable due to huge queues of traffic.
The road is often gridlocked with HGVs as a through-route on to the M60 motorway.
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Grandad-of-two Mr Howard, who has lived there for more than 30 years, told the Manchester Evening News : "You can literally taste the fumes."
The retired sales worker wrote to his local councillor to complain about the level of pollution, and to request an emissions test to be carried out.
He claims he received a response in January informing him this test would not be necessary, and that the Clean Air Zone would come into force in the next couple of years.
But after plans to delay the controversial scheme were announced earlier this month, Mr Howard is demanding further action from Oldham Council to protect him and other residents.
"The standing traffic that is there during peak times now is horrendous," he said, speaking to the M.E.N.
"When these so-called road improvements were done they put an island in the middle which reduces both sides to one lane.
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"This is resulted in so much stationary traffic spewing out fumes. You can literally taste the fumes."
Mr Howard says he has spoken to his neighbours in the area, and claims they are also concerned about pollution in the area.
"I wrote a letter to my local councillor and I got a response from the highways committee and it beggars belief," he said.
"They said that for our particular area no testing had been done. They said they had taken a view that emissions would not be a problem on our stretch of road.
"The last response I got just after Christmas was 'you've got to remember that come 2024 the Clean Air Zone will be in.'
"Now that's been delayed and it might not even happen.
"The Clean Air Zone probably would have improved the situation but I used to drive for a living and the expensive charges they were looking at were absolutely ludicrous."
Mr Howard says all he wants Oldham Council to agree to is to carry out emission testing in the area, to see if any immediate measures are required.
"If it proves it's below the level that's fine but for them to take a view and not do anything isn't right," he said.
"I'm not sure what the solution would be - possibly to divert all the HGV vehicles to Broadway, but whilst it is still a single lane I don't think they are going to get away from standing traffic.
"There isn’t an easy answer but at least let’s know what we are dealing with.
"I’ve lived her for 33 years and in the past four years this is the worst it’s been."
Oldham Council leader Arooj Shah said: "We fully appreciate the resident’s concerns regarding traffic pollution as this is a problem felt across the country, not just in Oldham.
"Unfortunately, however, we do not have the resources to respond to individual requests for air quality monitoring as we predominantly base our monitoring in areas which are likely to be close to or above the legal objective.
"We have identified these areas with the help of Transport for Greater Manchester, who modelled the air quality and identified stretches of road that have already exceeded this objective and those that are at risk of exceeding it.
"We continue to monitor the areas around Hollinwood and Failsworth that are predicted to be above the legal objective, particularly around the M60 motorway junction, including the junction of Cardigan Road and Hollins Road, and at the end of Irving Street.
"The latest Air Quality Management Area mapping does not appear to indicate this resident’s home is above this objective.
"However we will continue to monitor this situation as it progresses and should new modelling indicate to us that there are other areas at risk of, or already, exceeding this objective we will closely monitor these locations accordingly.
"In the meantime, we would like to remind residents that Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone is no longer due to start in May and we would advise you to listen out for the latest updates and developments on this as more information is released over the comings weeks and months."
