Freight operators are encouraged to take part in Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Plan consultation, which will run for seven weeks.
It proposes a series of measures to improve air quality across the 10 local authorities within the region, including a charging clean air zone (CAZ) and a £59m Clean Freight Fund to help fleets achieve compliance.
If approved, Greater Manchester’s CAZ will be the largest outside of London covering 500 square miles.
It would be implemented from 2021 and see HGV operators of non-compliant vehicles (pre Euro-6) pay a daily fee of up to £100 to enter. From 2023, vans will also need to meet Euro-6 standards.
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Deputy mayor of Greater Manchester and business and economy lead, Sir Richard Leese, said: “We recognise that our proposals could be challenging for many businesses across the region, in particular small businesses and sole traders – the backbone of our economy.
“That’s why we’re working with businesses of all types and sizes to understand how the proposals could affect them and to make sure that the right funding from government and support is available to help them switch to cleaner vehicles or retrofit their older, most polluting vehicles."
Chris Fletcher, marketing & campaigns director at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said of the plans: “Business input will be crucial to make sure the detailed plan offers the right support for business, from sole traders to large companies.
“So I’d urge all businesses across our region to find out about the proposals and give their feedback on this very important issue.”
The consultation will run until 30 June. Once the responses have been used to further develop the Clean Air Plan, a statutory public consultation will take place on detailed proposals. This will be followed with a final business case by the end of 2019.
