The government is still not convinced that Greater Manchester should scrap Clean Air Zone charges, saying the city-region's proposal lacks evidence. However, the new plan to help fund vehicle upgrades instead of penalising owners of older taxis, vans, buses and lorries is still under consideration.
It comes a year after the controversial plan to introduce a daily charges for commercial vehicles which do not meet emissions standards was paused following a public backlash. The government agreed to postpone the deadline for Greater Manchester to bring the level of pollution down below legal limits.
Local leaders now say that financial penalties are no longer needed to comply with air quality standards by the new deadline of 2026. However, six months after submitting its revised proposal, the government has said it requires more evidence to prove that this approach will work 'in the shortest possible time'.
