The mayor of Greater Manchester has vowed that Clean Air Zone charging will come to an end as soon as air quality reaches the required level.
Andy Burnham spent this morning (February 3) discussing the controversial charge on the radio, in the wake of comments from Boris Johnson yesterday which the mayor insisted were not true.
Addressing callers on BBC Radio Manchester, he confirmed that the Clean Air Zone would be temporary, lasting only until the region's air pollution falls to within the limits set by law.
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He told the Mike Sweeney programme that discussions had already begun about potentially handing over the cameras to police for their use, once the Clean Air Zone was stopped.
Mr Burnham said: "People think this is like a Trojan horse, that it will mutate into a congestion charge, and it will last forever and we will constantly ratchet up the requirements on people.
"Well let me just put that one to bed. This thing is a temporary Clean Air Zone. It needs to last as long we get to legal compliance with air limits.
"I've already started conversations with the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police to see if they would like to take the automatic number plate recognition infrastructure over and use it for policing purposes.
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"I realise that raises other issues and they would need to be consulted upon, but I just want people to know that this thing will be switched off the minute that it can be."
The mayor faced a barrage of calls from listeners concerned about the upcoming Clean Air Zone.
It was the only subject discussed for the entire hour of the phone-in, which came to an end while taxi drivers began their protest against the controversial scheme.
Mr Burnham discussed the Clean Air Zone being a temporary measure at a press conference held yesterday, where he called on the government to push back the deadline for meeting air quality requirements from 2024 to 2027.
He believes this would allow air quality to improve without the need for charging vehicles - with the most polluting set to pay £60 a day under the current proposals.
If the date remains at 2024, 'no other measures' than charging would allow Greater Manchester to meet the target, Mr Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester this morning.
He said he expects an answer from the government in the coming days on when the targets would need to be met, suggesting that while 2027 is his 'clear preference, he 'could work with' 2026, but 2025 would be 'challenging'.
Mr Burnham said: "I hope a solution is now in sight. The ball is in the government's court - but I say that not to be provocative.
"I just hope that they play that ball back to us in the spirit in which I put it in their court, which was to work with us to get this right.
"Playing politics with it will get us absolutely nowhere. Get a solution that cleans up the air, protects people's jobs, livelihoods and businesses.
"They can do that - I'm expecting them to get back in touch with me any day now, because the Environment Secretary said to me he would get back in seven to 10 days, and that was eight days ago now."
Mr Burnham also suggested leisure vehicles such as horse boxes and camper vans should be permanently excluded from the charge - while adding he 'would like' vans also removed from charging in an ideal scenario.
It comes after Boris Johnson put blame for the Clean Air Zone on Mr Burnham's shoulders yesterday, something Mr Burham described as an 'untruth'.
Responding to a question from Leigh MP James Grundy, Mr Johnson said: "I know from my own experience how vital it is when you're trying to clean up air in a great city that you do not unjustly penalise business and small business and it's become clear that the scheme proposed by the Labour mayor in Manchester is completely unworkable, would do more damage to businesses and residents in Manchester.
"So we must find an alternative that doesn't punish local residents."
He added: "The Secretary of State for the Environment will be saying more about this in the coming days."
