Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has stated that the government has no plans to enforce a paid-for clean air zone in Greater Manchester, despite a formal decision still pending. The government is currently reviewing Mayor Andy Burnham's investment-led approach to improving air quality in the region, which does not involve charging drivers.
There are no plans whatsoever to enforce a paid-for clean air zone in Greater Manchester , according to the transport secretary - but a formal decision STILL hasn’t been made. Heidi Alexander said this morning (January 6) the decision was one for ‘ local leaders based on what’s best for their local areas’. Currently, the government is reviewing Andy Burnham ’s ‘investment-led approach’ to cleaning Greater Manchester ’s air.
This plan would not charge drivers to use the roads in any part of the region, a U-turn from the first clean air zone which was going to be introduced in April 2022. It was put on hold, following a backlash, months before charges were going to be applied, with the mayor unveiling his new plan in December 2023. However, this plan still requires permission from the government to go ahead. After 14 months of waiting, a final decision has not been made, but the transport minister has appeared to quash the idea. She said: “The government does not have any plans to enforce clean air zones on cities across the country where local leaders don’t want to have them. There’s lots of ways to clean up the country’s air, and the challenges will be different in different towns, different cities and so there will be different approaches.” When pressed on if that was ‘a definite no for a charging zone in Greater Manchester’, she replied: “We’ve got no plans whatsoever to enforce a paid-for clean air zone in Greater Manchester. I could not be clearer: this is for local leaders to take local decisions about what’s best for their local areas.” At the joint press conference in Wythenshawe to mark the completion of implementing Bee Network buses, Mr Burnham said he was ‘obviously very encouraged by what the secretary of state said
CLEAN AIR ZONE GREATER MANCHESTER TRANSPORT SECRETARY ANDY BURNHAM LOCAL LEADERS
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