The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone – When does it come into force?

The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone – When does it come into force?

What is this new Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and why is it just in Manchester? We are already receiving enquires from local customers asking about the impact of the CAZ on their existing vehicles. In truth, this is not a new phenomenon and has been well publicised by TGM / the Greater Manchester Authorities ; it has perhaps flown a little bit under the radar in light of 18 months of pandemics and COVID. However, nothing has altered in terms of intended plans and these measures must still come into effect as part of central Government strategy. To be clear, the CAZ is NOT just in Manchester and will be something which every local authority across the UK will have to attend to. These schemes are already in place with certain cities like Bath  and Birmingham .

A CAZ is effectively an area where targeted action is being taken to improve air quality. The measures will aim to discourage the most polluting vehicles from entering the zone (which can include a single road or wider area). The Government have been clear that their long-term strategy is to improve the UK’s air quality and remove older vehicles from UK roads.

To clarify, these measures are additional to the low emission and zero emission strategies which you may have noticed in the last two months, as the UK prepares for a transition to vehicle electrification. The CAZ, in the short-term, will look to reduce the amount of journeys drivers are making, move drivers into walking, cycling and public transport and ensure that where trips are essential, these are done utilising low and zero emission vehicles.

While a central Government policy, the responsibility for organising and implementing this will be that of the local authority. Each local authority could use a different approach. For example there are different classes which can be utilised:

• Buses, coaches, taxis and private hire will be affected;
• Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire and HGVs will be affected;
• Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire, HGVs and LCVs will be affected; and
• Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire, HGVs, LCVs and cars will be affected.

When does the CAZ changes come into force in Greater Manchester? The key date to note is 30 May 2022, as this will be when the first Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will be actioned. All ten Greater Manchester local authorities, including our local authority – Wigan- have an approved CAZ plan. For the Greater Manchester “category C” has been adopted meaning that Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire, HGVs and LCVs will be affected by the changes. However, to assist businesses, the Greater Manchester authority has some £120m in funding to help businesses adopt cleaner vehicles; new or used. Independent vehicle dealerships are being encouraged to apply, so that they can help customers access the scheme.

When will the camera be installed? The ANPR cameras have already started to be installed in Wigan, where a total of 73 cameras will exist in the area. Around 800 ANPR cameras will be put in place across Manchester regions. When the CAZ officially launches, the camera will identify those which are non-compliant and vehicles driving within the zones who have not paid for doing so will be issued with a £120 penalty notice. This penalty notice will be reduced to £60 for early payment. In order to improve quality of driving, the ANPR cameras are also being used to monitor traffic and traffic offences, although clear signposting for the CAZ will feature throughout the area.

Will it affect me or my business?

How do I know if my LCV / van / pickup will qualify? As we don’t supply HGVS or private hire, we won’t be providing any further information or advice. For our commercial vehicle customers, we would encourage our customers to use the  “vehicle checker” on the Greater Manchester website . In summary, if your van does not meet diesel  Euro 6 standards (which came into force around September 2016)  or petrol Euro 4 standards (which came into force around January 2006) then you will pay a daily charge. The policy, verbatim, for charges is set out below:

If you own a non-compliant van or minibus (which is not a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle, or used to provide a registered bus service), your vehicle would automatically qualify for a temporary local exemption until 31 May 2023.

The following vehicles would pay a proposed daily charge of £10 to travel in the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone from 1 June 2023.

• LGVs and minibuses with a Euro 5 or earlier diesel engine (typically registered before 2016).
• LGVs and minibuses with a Euro 3 or earlier petrol engine (typically registered before 2005).

Unpaid charges would result in liability to pay a Penalty Charge Notice of £120 in addition to the unpaid daily charge (reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days). Owners of the following vehicles will be able to apply for a permanent local exemption from the charge:

• Community minibuses operating under a permit under section 19 or section 22 of the Transport Act 1985, issued by a body designated by the Secretary of State.
• LGVs and minibuses specially adapted for use by a disabled person.
• Emergency service vehicles.
• Showman’s Guild vehicles.

There are national exemptions for certain types of vehicles. For further details, see the government’s Clean Air Zone guidance                          

There is also more information on our exemptions and daily charge discounts page.

Use our vehicle checker to see if a vehicle is likely to be charged.

Daily charges will apply for each day a non-compliant vehicle is used within the GM Clean Air Zone. One charge would be imposed per vehicle, per ‘charging day’ (midnight to midnight), however much a vehicle drives within the Zone in that 24-hour period.

Owners or registered keepers of non-compliant vehicles used within the Zone will be required to pay the relevant charge via a central government payment portal.

The government intends that a user can pay seven days in advance (including the journey date) or seven days retrospectively (including the journey date).

Is it time to go Electric?

For any local businesses in the Greater Manchester area needing advice on making a transition to low emission or zero emission vehicles, just get in touch with the e-car lease team. Without a doubt, plans at both local and national level are very clear – you and your fleet must start to look towards low emission and zero emission vehicles.