Environment Secretary and Mayor clash over charging for Greater Manchester CAZ

Environment Secretary George Eustice MP (pictured right) said that high-polluting vehicles should only be charged in the city centre, the most polluted part of Manchester. Burnham, however, said he would “continue to argue” to have a “non-charging” scheme.

In an interview on the BBC’s Today programme this week (29 June 2022), Burnham maintained that all ten leaders of the councils in Greater Manchester, who variously represent the Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Labour parties, were all in agreement that now was not the right time to impose charges on vans and HGVs entering Manchester city centre.

Natalie Chapman, Head of Policy, Logistics UK, said: “Escalating fuel costs are placing an ever-greater burden on operators of commercial vehicles, which need to access our city centres. Plus, there is an acute shortage of suitable commercial vehicles available in the marketplace. Given these two factors, Logistics UK continues to campaign for an approach that balances the need to improve air quality in our cities with the need to ensure they remain stocked with essential goods and services.”

To discover more on the latest plans for Clean Air Zones across the country, read Logistics UK’s members-only briefing note for June 2022.

*www.logistics.org.uk/urban

Published On: 30/06/2022 16:00:33

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