‘Clean air’ charge may hit vans and cab drivers
TRUCKS AND BUSES ALSO IN PLAN
MOST diesel vans, lorries, taxis and buses would be charged for driving into and within Greater Manchester under proposals privately being worked up to tackle the region’s air quality crisis.
That is understood to be the ‘preferred option’ of council leaders ordered by government to slash the region’s deadly nitrogen dioxide levels by 2021. If agreed, it is likely cameras would be used to identify and charge the dirtiest commercial vehicles as they enter the conurbation or circulate within it – but not private cars.
Insiders said no charges had yet been decided, but pointed to London’s current pollution penalties of £12.50 a day for vans and £100 for larger vehicles as a starting point.
Such charges may be phased in or accompanied by a scrappage scheme in order to mitigate the financial impact on drivers – particularly those on low earnings who rely on their van to make a living, including many self-employed tradesmen.
While cars are not included in the proposal, charges on private vehicles are not yet completely off the table – as it remains to be seen whether the measures currently under consideration would be enough to meet the region’s legal obligations.
The M.E.N. reported in October how Greater Manchester’s combined authority of 10 town halls was considering some kind of charging regime after being ordered by government to draw up a clean air plan by the end of this year. Since then they have been looking at detailed research into the scale of pollution in the region, which shows more than 150 stretches of road have illegally high levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air, mostly due to diesel emissions.
A range of possible solutions included charging the dirtiest vehicles – older diesels that do not comply with EU rules, which account for most LGVs, HGVs and buses, as well as 20 per cent of cars – for entering specific areas with the worst problems, such as the city centre, or one single Greater Manchester-wide zone.
It is understood that council leaders, and mayor Andy Burnham, agreed in private their ‘preferred option’ – a single charging zone covering all of Greater Manchester, but excluding cars – and asked transport officials to spend more time looking into the implications, including whether or not it would be sufficient to tackle the crisis.
As a result, the plan is not now going to surface until February at the earliest, considerably after the government’s original deadline.
A spokesman for Transport for Greater Manchester said: “A coordinated plan to tackle nitrogen dioxide exceedances – a key element of air pollution – is currently being developed by all 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester, working closely with TfGM.
“However, this is a highly complex issue and work remains ongoing to assess the best course of action. No decisions have yet been made and further information will be shared in the new year.”