Manchester CAZ to launch next May
All but Euro VI trucks and buses will face a proposed charge of £60 a day to enter a clean air zone (CAZ) in Manchester from 30 May 2022.
A similar charge for coaches will be introduced the following year, as will a £10 daily charge for non-compliant vans and minibuses.
Cars will be exempt from charge, irrespective of their emissions class or pollution output.
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, announced the details of the clean air zone, along with a new cycle-hire scheme for the region.
Mr Burnham said: “It is a fact that it’s the poorest kids in the poorest communities that have to breathe in the most polluted air.
“Every year in Greater Manchester, over a thousand deaths have air pollutions as a contributory cause.
“It’s just not something we should ignore anymore. It’s time to change things.”
In mitigation, subject to government funding and various criteria, operators of trucks registered in the Greater Manchester area will be able apply for a grant of up to £16,000 to retrofit exhaust equipment to bring older trucks to standard. Where this is not possible, grants to fund replacement vehicles will be available. The maximum sums available per vehicle will be as follows: £6,500 for a 44-tonne artic; £12,000 for a 32-tonne rigid; £9,000 for a 26-tonne rigid; £7,000 for an 18-tonne rigid; and £5,000 for a 7.5-tonne rigid.
Eligible owners will also have access to vehicle finance for the replacement or retrofit of non-compliant vehicles, offering a zero per cent or low-cost loan up to the sum of £12,000. Funding will be available to both commercial and private owners, or registered keepers. It is proposed that there be a limit of five vehicles per applicant.
All roads within Greater Manchester – apart from roads managed by Highways England such as motorways and trunk roads – will be included in the CAZ, with a few exceptions.
More details on the scheme are available at the Clean Air GM website.
