The hotly-debated Clean Air Zone in Greater Manchester is being 'finally laid to rest' as signs for the scheme are due to be removed.
More than 1,300 signs were put across the city region, alerting drivers to daily charges on certain vehicles. However, the scheme was put on hold in early 2022 following a public outcry, with local leaders saying charges were no longer necessary to improve air quality.
The government eventually concluded the three-year saga in January when they approved Greater Manchester's updated plan.
The Clean Air Zone signs, which have been obscured with stickers reading 'under review', have remained in place - until now. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that the signs will be taken down, with work already underway.
In a report, transport chiefs stated that 'the release of funds' for councils to either remove or repurpose the signs, has been given the green light.
Simultaneously, a public consultation is set to kick off in September as part of plans to hand over enforcement cameras to the police.
More than £100m has been splashed out on the controversial scheme to date, with all costs footed by the government. The government initially instructed local leaders in Greater Manchester, along with other local authorities nationwide, to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels back in 2017.
Clean air advocates have decried the move to abandon the scheme, arguing that ongoing pollution contributes to a widespread 'epidemic' of severe lung conditions and respiratory diseases, but Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham maintains that charging drivers would not have been effective.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has expressed relief at the removal of the signs, interpreting it as the definitive end of the scheme.
Robert Downes, FSB's development manager for Greater Manchester, said: "While we've known the CAZ was all but dead and buried quite some time ago, it's symbolic and definitive to learn that plans are now in motion to bring down the signage.
"Despite all the effort we put in to opposing the CAZ it was, ironically, the signs going up in the first place that triggered the massive reaction from both the business community and the wider public when they woke up to the huge financial implications of what was being proposed.
"You only now have to look around the country to see other city regions who rushed ahead with similar schemes to see how they have hammered businesses, many of whom have been forced to close because of the unavoidable costs.
"While it may have taken local decision makers a while to come around, it's always better late than never."
Had it been implemented, the Clean Air Zone would have imposed daily charges of up to £60 on taxis, vans, lorries, and buses failing to meet emission standards.
Under the fresh 'investment-led' strategy, motorists won't face any charges whatsoever. Instead, Whitehall has permitted Greater Manchester to allocate £86m across various other schemes, encompassing vehicle upgrade grants and traffic reduction measures around the city centre.
The bulk of this cash injection will fund zero-emission and cleaner diesel buses, which transport chiefs insist is already yielding results. Over 300 electric buses are currently operating throughout Greater Manchester's Bee Network, with ambitions to completely electrify the entire fleet by 2030, and TfGM reports this has helped drive down air pollution levels once more in 2024.
However, 38 locations in Greater Manchester continue to record unlawful nitrogen dioxide concentrations.
Bury council leader Eamonn O'Brien, who spearheads Greater Manchester's Clean Air initiative, commented: "We've always been focused on doing what's right for Greater Manchester, and by accelerating investment in our public transport network, we're showing that it's possible to improve air quality faster than if a charging Clean Air Zone had been introduced.
"Investment in the Bee Network is enabling more people to choose cleaner, greener ways to get around – like public transport and walking or cycling – instead of driving.
"As we deliver our Clean Air Plan alongside the Bee Network, with support from the government, we'll roll out the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system by the end of the decade and improve the air we all breathe for generations to come."
