NEW TAXI FUNDS: Greater Manchester proposes innovative non-charging plan to improve air quality

Recent modeling suggests that Greater Manchester can achieve air quality compliance without implementing a charging Clean Air Zone, surpassing the pace of a proposed charging alternative.

Building on the successful Bee Network, the region's plan involves a substantial £51.2 million investment in zero-emission electric buses, £30.5 million for cleaner taxis, and £5 million for traffic flow management.

With a legal directive to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels by 2026, Greater Manchester's 10 local authorities are poised to present their investment-focused strategy to the Government in December. The preferred plan, involving no charges for vehicles in a Clean Air Zone, aims to achieve legal air quality limits for nitrogen dioxide on local roads by 2025.

Contrastingly, modeling of a charging Clean Air Zone in Manchester and Salford indicates it may fall short of compliance by 2026. The Government will ultimately decide between Greater Manchester's investment-led plan and a charging Clean Air Zone.

The decision to bring buses under local control enhances the ability to deploy the cleanest vehicles strategically. The proposed investment plan includes a significant fleet expansion of 64 zero-emission electric buses, a Clean Taxi Fund of £22.5 million, an Electric Hackney Upgrade Fund of £8 million, and a £5 million investment in traffic flow management.

Details of this plan will be presented to the Greater Manchester Air Quality Administration Committee for approval on 20 December. The proposed measures, if approved, would significantly contribute to Greater Manchester's goal of having 50% of its bus fleet electric by 2027 and a fully electric fleet by 2032.

After receiving formal government feedback, Greater Manchester will consider timelines for a public consultation on this forward-thinking Clean Air Plan.

What does the investment-led plan look like for the taxi industry?

A £22.5m Clean Taxi Fund providing grants of between £3,770 and £12,560 to help all taxis (Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles) licensed with a Greater Manchester local authority meet a new minimum emission standard by 31 December 2025.

An £8m Electric Hackney Upgrade Fund providing grants of between £7,530 and £12,560 to help owners of GM-licensed Hackneys who meet the minimum emission standard help upgrade to a Zero Emission capable vehicle.

A £5m investment in measures to manage traffic flow on roads in Manchester and Salford, including Regent Road and Quay Street.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Cleaning up the air that people breathe is a priority for Greater Manchester and we have already started to do that through investment in the Bee Network, which saw the first buses brought back under local control in September.

“By accelerating investment in the Bee Network to create a London-style integrated public transport network, and upgrading GM-licensed taxis, we can improve air quality faster than if we introduced a Clean Air Zone, and without causing hardship to our residents or businesses.

“Since the first bus services came under local control, we have listened to feedback to make improvements and deliver change and are already seeing the benefits the Bee Network brings, with more people getting on board with lower fares under a locally controlled service, with new, state-of-the-art electric buses.

“I’d also ask government to urgently consider allowing Greater Manchester local authorities to remove charging Clean Air Zone signs, as modelling shows that only Greater Manchester’s investment-led plan can meet the legal test placed on the 10 councils to deliver compliance in the shortest possible time and by 2026 at the latest.”

Leader of Bury Council and Clean Air lead for Greater Manchester, Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, said: “We know that there are very serious consequences of dirty air in Greater Manchester and that the health impacts are not always felt equally.

“We want to do the right thing in the right way, using an investment-led, non-charging plan to clean the air in a supportive and transitional way, that does not create the risk of financial hardship. While we can now prove our case for an investment-led plan, modelling shows that we can’t achieve compliance through a charging Clean Air Zone by 2026. There is now a compelling case for what Greater Manchester has set out – a plan that is fairer, cheaper, more affordable and more democratic.

“Subject to the approval of the Greater Manchester Air Quality Administration Committee at its meeting on 20 December, this evidence will be submitted to government. It is then for government to determine which scenario Greater Manchester is to implement – an investment-led, non-charging plan, or a charging regional centre Clean Air Zone.”