Hundreds of roadside surveillance cameras installed to enforce the stalled Greater Manchester clean air zone have been used by police to help solve two murders, fatal hit and run crashes, a drugs case and other crimes, councillors have heard.
The 407 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) live cameras installed for the scheme, the vast majority of which are unlikely to be used for the purpose they were installed, are costing Transport for Greater Manchester £375,000 per month in electricity bills, councillors said.
A meeting of Bolton council heard the ANPR cameras were installed across the region, including 86 in Bolton, ahead of plans for a Greater Manchester wide clean air charging zone. After the infrastructure and signs were installed, Greater Manchester Combined Authority changed tack, favouring an 'investment led' approach to air quality improvements, which would mean no charging for non-compliant vehicles apart from possibly in Manchester city centre.
