GM Clean Air Zone - Further consultation - Taxi trade updates

All ten Greater Manchester local authorities have approved the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan, which includes a government directed ‘Category C’ charging Clean Air Zone, expected to launch on 30 May 2022.

Charges do not apply to private vehicles. And, so that they can travel in the Clean Air Zone without incurring a daily charge, GM has secured more than £120m in government funding to help local businesses, people and organisations to upgrade to cleaner vehicles.

A public consultation on the GM Clean Air Plan proposals took place in 2020. This identified two proposed inclusions to the zone (below). These now require a further consultation so that the ten GM local authorities can decide if they are to be included in the final plan.

• Including M1/ M1 SP vehicles with a body type of ‘motorcaravan’ within the charging scheme.
• Including sections of the A575 and A580 at Worsley in the charging scheme.

A six-week consultation will take place from 1 September 2021 to 13 October and is available at cleanairgm.com/.

Background to the proposals

Feedback from the 2020 consultation identified that due to DVLA vehicle categories, some motorhomes would be charged to drive within the GM Clean Air Zone and some wouldn’t. The proposed inclusion of M1 / M1 Special Purpose with a body type of ‘motorcaravan’ within the charging scheme would ensure that all vehicles with a motorcaravan-type body, which may look similar and have similar levels of emissions, will be treated equally.

The proposal to include the A575 and A580 at Worsley in the Clean Air Zone is a minor modification to the zone. The roads were only previously excluded due to issues with signage in this area, which have now been resolved.