Greater Manchester proposes non-charging alternative to Clean Air Zone
New modelling by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) suggests Greater Manchester could bring air quality within legal limits without the need for – and faster than – a pay to enter Clean Air Zone.
Building on Manchester’s integrated transport Bee Network, and using clean air funding already awarded by government, Greater Manchester’s proposal includes a £51.2m investment in zero-emission electric buses, £30.5m to fund grants for cleaner taxis, and £5m for measures to manage traffic flow on some roads in the centre of Manchester and Salford.
Greater Manchester’s 10 local authorities are legally directed by government to bring nitrogen dioxide within legal limits as soon as possible and by 2026 at the latest. The new modelling has been prepared as evidence to government in support of their preferred investment-led, non-charging plan, benchmarked against a charging Clean Air Zone in the centre of Manchester and Salford.
Greater Manchester’s preferred plan, it says, would mean that no vehicle would be charged to drive in a Clean Air Zone in Greater Manchester. Modelling shows this would bring air quality within legal limits for nitrogen dioxide on local roads in 2025.
In contrast, says GMCA, modelling of a charging Clean Air Zone suggests it would not achieve the required reductions by 2026, thereby failing to meet the government’s own compliance date.
It is for government to decide the measures that get the green light – Greater Manchester’s preferred investment-led, non-charging plan, or a charging Clean Air Zone.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said, “Cleaning up the air that people breathe is a priority for Greater Manchester. By accelerating investment in the Bee Network to create a London-style integrated public transport network, and upgrading GM-licensed taxis, we can improve air quality faster than if we introduced a Clean Air Zone, and without causing hardship to our residents or businesses.
“Since the first bus services came under local control, we have listened to feedback to make improvements and deliver change and are already seeing the benefits the Bee Network brings, with more people getting on board with lower fares under a locally controlled service, with new, state-of-the-art electric buses.
“I’d also ask government to urgently consider allowing Greater Manchester local authorities to remove charging Clean Air Zone signs, as modelling shows that only Greater Manchester’s investment-led plan can meet the legal test placed on the 10 councils to deliver compliance in the shortest possible time and by 2026 at the latest.”
Government requested benchmark modelling of Clean Air Zone based on the introduction of charges for non-compliant buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, HGVs, vans and minibuses.
Greater Manchester’s alternative investment-led plan includes:
A £51.2m investment in 64 zero-emission electric (ZEB) buses and upgrades to electric vehicle charging infrastructure at bus depots in Manchester, Bolton and Middleton. Bringing buses back under local control through the Bee Network allows Greater Manchester to run ZEBs on routes where they can have the biggest impact on improving air quality. The 64 electric buses would be in addition to the 85 currently in operation and, with 50 due to come into service in March 2024 would bring the fleet total to 199 next year. Under current plans, Greater Manchester would have 369 ZEBs operating in 2025 and 619 by the end of 2027. Greater Manchester is on target for 50% of its bus fleet to be electric by 2027, with an entirely electric fleet by 2032.
A £22.5m Clean Taxi Fund providing grants of between £3,770 and £12,560 to help all taxis (Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles) licensed with a Greater Manchester local authority meet a new minimum emission standard by 31 December 2025.
An £8m Electric Hackney Upgrade Fund providing grants of between £7,530 and £12,560 to help owners of GM-licensed Hackneys who meet the minimum emission standard help upgrade to a Zero Emission capable vehicle.
A £5m investment in measures to manage traffic flow on roads in Manchester and Salford, including Regent Road and Quay Street.
Leader of Bury Council and Clean Air lead for Greater Manchester, Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, said, “We know that there are very serious consequences of dirty air in Greater Manchester and that the health impacts are not always felt equally.
“We want to do the right thing in the right way, using an investment-led, non-charging plan to clean the air in a supportive and transitional way, that does not create the risk of financial hardship. While we can now prove our case for an investment-led plan, modelling shows that we can’t achieve compliance through a charging Clean Air Zone by 2026. There is now a compelling case for what Greater Manchester has set out – a plan that is fairer, cheaper, more affordable and more democratic.
“Subject to the approval of the Greater Manchester Air Quality Administration Committee at its meeting on 20 December, this evidence will be submitted to government. It is then for government to determine which scenario Greater Manchester is to implement – an investment-led, non-charging plan, or a charging regional centre Clean Air Zone.”