Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is looking to roll-out a network of urban consolidation centres as part of its plans to tackle air quality.

It plans to create shared-user freight hubs, both outside the city boundaries and within central Manchester. These would be used to consolidate goods for last-mile deliveries by low, or ultra-low-emission vehicles, cycle courier or foot.

A policy will be put in place to encourage use of consolidation centres for freight and waste collections. This will include personal workplace delivery bans for Manchester council staff to help drive volumes through the hubs.

The proposals were made as part of a series of measures aimed at lowering emissions from freight deliveries and are part of the Greater Manchester Air Quality Action Plan, under consultation.

Manchester is in breach of EU air quality regulations and has set out plans to halve its carbon emissions within the next four years.

Other proposals in the consultation include feasibility studies for introducing Clean Air Zones; the launch of Freight Information Channels to communicate real-time traffic flow data to operators; and a Delivery & Servicing Toolkit to help local councils and private firms manage deliveries better.

TfGM also plans to tackle congestion and emissions on major roads, such as the M60/M62 corridor where a  controlled motorway scheme to manage traffic flow is planned.

Jon Lamonte, TfGM chief executive, said: “The need to achieve air quality improvement targets will require commitment from a range of organisations to ensure Greater Manchester’s continued development as one of the UK’s foremost cities.”

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