No Clean Air Zone charges will be introduced in Greater Manchester, the government confirmed today (23 January), ending a three-year saga.

Defra and the Department for Transport have rigorously assessed an investment-led plan proposed by local councils and concluded it will meet legal obligations to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution.

Plans to charge buses and HGVs £60; vans and minibuses £10; and hackney carriages and private hire vehicles £7.50 per day were put on hold after a huge public backlash at the start of 2022. It came after more than 1,000 signs and 400 enforcement cameras were installed, costing taxpayers millions of pounds. It was set to come into effect in May 2022.

But Andy Burnham argued that the plans to cut pollution, which were made before the pandemic, would no longer work due to rising costs prohibiting drivers from upgrading their vehicles. The government agreed to delay the deadline.

Local leaders then put forward alternative to improve air quality without charging motorists. However, they had to prove that their 'investment-led' plan would cut air pollution in the shortest possible time, no later than 2026.

The Conservative government initially argued that a Clean Air Zone would still need to be introduced in the city centre. But despite Greater Manchester's transport bosses submitting several alternative proposals, the government did not make a decision - until today.

The government has now concluded that Greater Manchester's new Clean Air Plan will meet legal obligations to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The plan includes introducing 117 new lower and zero-emission buses and giving cabbies £8m to upgrade their vehicles.

However, clean air campaigners have argued that these alternative plans do not go far enough. It comes after Greater Manchester's own data revealed last year that pollution was still too high in 64 places across the city-region with NO2 levels rising in some areas.

The £86m package of funding for the investment-led scheme that has now been agreed with the government includes:

• £51.1m towards bus investment, including 40 zero emission buses, 77 Euro VI standard buses and charging infrastructure; 
• £5m for local traffic management measures; 
• £8m to support moving Greater Manchester’s taxi fleet to cleaner vehicles; 
• Up to £21.9m for administration, delivery, monitoring and other associated costs; 
• Local leaders have also been told they can review and cancel contracts relating to the Clean Air Zone, such as signs and cameras.

Air Quality Minister Emma Hardy said: “I am pleased that Greater Manchester has found a clear way to reduce emissions without the need to charge motorists. I look forward to working with the teams across Greater Manchester as they put this important plan in place.”

Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood said: "Having completed the ground-breaking Bee Network buses, Greater Manchester is making fantastic progress in building a modern, sustainable and truly integrated transport network. Manchester will be able to reduce pollution from transport without having to charge motorists.”

Mr Burnham said: “The Bee Network is cleaning up our air and keeping the cost of travel as low as possible. Its success is allowing us to remove a big weight of worry off the shoulders of people who need to drive as part of their job.

“We will now continue to work towards an all-electric bus fleet whilst investing in local traffic measures and supporting our GM-licensed taxi drivers to upgrade to cleaner vehicles.”

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