Government issues statement on clean air zone

The government body deciding if motorists will pay to drive in Greater Manchester has issued a statement on alternative plans.

A clean air zone, which would have charged £60 for buses and HGVs, £10 for vans and minibuses, and £7.50 for Hackney cabs and private hire taxis every day, was set to come in across Greater Manchester in 2022.

But it was ‘paused’ just months before it was going to start following a major backlash.

While the scheme was on hold, Andy Burnham proposed an alternative ‘investment-led’ plan.

It proposed combatting pollution by spending £51.2 million upgrading buses to cleaner models, another £30.5m improving taxis, and £5m reducing congestion on key city centre routes like Regent Road and Quay Street.

The plan was submitted to the government for its approval in December 2023, but the mayor has been waiting for a final decision ever since.

Officials were tight-lipped on progress.

Now, the department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) has issued a statement saying it ‘will provide an update shortly’, a day after transport secretary Heidi Alexander gave the strongest hint yet the government will not impose  charges for drivers. 

She said: “We’ve got no plans whatsoever to enforce a paid-for clean air zone in Greater Manchester.

"I could not be clearer: this is for local leaders to take local decisions about what’s best for their local areas.”

The Defra statement said: “Air pollution is a public health issue, and we recognise there is always more we can do to reduce harmful nitrogen dioxide emissions.

“Local authorities are best placed to determine the most effective route to reducing nitrogen dioxide in their cities.

"We are committed to working with them as they deliver legally binding obligations to improve the air we breathe. 

“We are concluding our consideration of Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Plan proposal, but there are no plans to impose pay per mile road charging.

"We will provide an update shortly.”

This represents the first change in the government’s position as officials previously said they would make a decision ‘in due course’.

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