Boris Johnson has branded Greater Manchester's original Clean Air Zone (CAZ) proposal a "thoughtless" plan that would have "damaged business".
The scheme, which was originally set to be launched in May, would have been one of the largest of its kind in the country - covering an area of around 493 miles.
The CAZ would have seen a £60 charge for HGVs, buses and coaches, £10 for vans and £7.50 for taxis and private hire cars.
Read more: More than 1,000 Clean Air Zone signs will have a new message on them after scheme put on pause
But after a major public backlash, the government agreed to move the deadline it set for Greater Manchester to lower air pollution below legal limits by two years to 2026.
Greater Manchester leaders are now working with the government to design a 'substantially different' scheme which could come into force as soon as July.
Bury South MP James Daly, speaking at prime minister's questions, hit out at the original plan.
He said: "On July 28 last year, every Labour councillor in Bury voted in favour of Andy Burnham's plan to impose a 493 square mile clean air charging zone upon my constituents and the residents of Greater Manchester.
"The mayor's plan is an attack on jobs and opportunity and is based upon flawed data and should be scrapped, does he agree?"
Mr Johnson responded: "As somebody who once had to deal with a badly thought out emission zone, it is totally wrong to impose measures thoughtlessly that damage business and don;t do very much to protect clean air.
"I think the Mayor of Manchester has done the wrong thing and I'm glad that we're delaying."
Mr Burnham has previously said that he is ‘open to any solution’ that might cut pollution to legal levels without jeopardising jobs.
He added: “We have to get the air down to legal levels. Government is requiring us to do that. We want to do that, to clean up the air, without losing a job, a business or putting anybody into hardship."
