First cameras set up to focus on cleaner air
THE first of hundreds of cameras that will enforce Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone has been installed in preparation for its launch next year.
Drivers of vans, buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles and lorries that fail to meet emission standards will be hit with daily charges while using the region’s roads.
Once operational on May 30, 2022, the zone – which will not cover private vehicles – will cover all 493 square miles of Greater Manchester, making it the largest in the UK.
Last month the first Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera which will enforce any nonpayment of daily charges was installed in Bolton.
Heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches will need to pay £60 a day to drive within the zone, with vans paying £10 and taxi and private hire vehicles paying £7.50. Failure to pay the charge will also result in a £120 fine plus the daily charge.
Around 850 cameras are proposed in an ANPR network spanning the cityregion which will also be supported by new roadside Clean Air Zone signage.
In a statement on its Facebook page on Thursday, a Rochdale Borough Council spokesperson said: “You may see Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone road signs and enforcement cameras popping up in your area over the next few weeks and months.
“Greater Manchester is getting ready for the launch of a Clean Air Zone on 30 May 2022.
“The Zone won’t be in operation until then, and cameras are just being tested at the moment.
“The Clean Air Zone will reduce air pollution from road traffic in Greater Manchester and bring it within legal limits as soon as possible.
To find out more about the Zone and whether your vehicle may be affected, visit cleanairgm.com.”
From November, businesses and individuals affected by the zone will be able to apply for grants from a £120m fund to pay for new cleaner vehicles, or upgrade their old ones.
However the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has accused authorities of ‘misleading’ firms over the true cost of retro-fitting vehicles, a claim disputed by Clean Air Greater Manchester.
When the zone launches only buses and heavy goods vehicles which fall short of emission standards will have to pay charges. All other vehicles that are liable for charges for driving within the zone will not be affected until May 2023.
The scheme has been backed by all 10 local authorities which have been mandated by the government to tackle harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution.
Air pollution, primarily caused by vehicles, is said to contribute to 1,200 deaths a year in Greater Manchester.
But the zone has been described as being weaker than previous proposals by environmental lawyers Clientearth, who successfully sued the government in the High Court over illegal levels of air pollution in the UK.
The group, along with Friends of the Earth Manchester, and the British Lung Foundation, also said they were disappointed that private cars would not be subject to penalties for driving within the zone.