The end of the Black Cab? Concerns around the new Clean Air Zone in Greater Manchester.
Clean Air Zones are nothing new in the UK. The first was introduced in London back in 2019 and saw levels of air pollution significantly reduced. Last year saw Birmingham, Bath and Portsmouth also introduced CAZs. This year sees the introduction of several other Clean Air Zones (CAZs) across the UK. The majority of these zones are being rolled out in May.
Greater Manchester is set to see the introduction of the largest CAZ in the UK, with nearly 500 miles covering all ten boroughs. 152 stretches of road in Greater Manchester were found to have nitrogen dioxide levels in breach of the legal limit. As part of the introduction of their CAZ, more than 800 cameras have been installed across the borough to help enforce the new rules.
Since its announcement, representatives from the taxi and private hire trade have been highly critical of the plans. Businesses have been vocal about how the new CAZ charges will impact them.
Many have been seriously considering whether or not they can survive considering the huge decline in business levels due to the pandemic.
The Costs
Under the current plans, the taxi and private hire vehicles (PHVs) listed below will need to pay a daily charge of £7.50 to travel in the Greater Manchester CAZ from 30 May 2022:
Hackney carriages and PHVs that aren't licensed with a Greater Manchester local authority with a Euro 5 or earlier diesel engine (usually registered before 2016).
All hackney carriages and PHVs that aren’t licensed with a Greater Manchester local authority with a Euro 3 or earlier petrol engine (usually registered before 2005).
Hackney carriages and PHVs which are licensed by a Greater Manchester authority will receive a temporary exemption. This exemption will last until the 31st of May 2023.
After this point, the below vehicles would pay a proposed daily charge of £7.50 to travel in the Greater Manchester CAZ from 1 June 2023:
All hackney carriages and PHVs with a Euro 5 or earlier diesel engine (usually registered before 2016)
All hackney carriages and PHVs with a Euro 3 or earlier petrol engine (usually 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). Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) provides an online vehicle checker so you can check whether you’ll be charged. You can find it here.
When these daily charges are worked out over the course of the year, they amount to nearly £3000. In a recent interview with the MEN, Stockport taxi driver Nawaz Shaw said he believed the new rules marked the ‘beginning of the end for black cabs.’
Intense scrutiny
In recent weeks, Andy Burnham, Mayor of the Greater Manchester combined authorities, has been under increasing pressure to reassess the introduction of the CAZ. Burnham finds himself in a difficult situation, as Greater Manchester have received a legal directive from UK Government to clean up its air by 2024.
This means that he has no authority to prevent the scheme, this is something that only the government can do.
However, the pressure of protests (including one with a sheep and pony) has led the Great Manchester Combined Authority to potentially push back the start date of the CAZs introduction. Bolton Council leader Councillor Martyn Cox said in a statement:
"The scheme was designed in a period before the global pandemic, and before the key supply chains were hit.”
"People can't comply because of forces outside their control and in fact also the government's control. This makes it incredibly difficult for people to comply."
In a statement, released today by the Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority, it was confirmed that the Air Quality Administration Committee will meet on 20th January. They will plan to discuss the impact of the CAZ on local supply chains and businesses and what support can be put in place.
This committee will need to seek approval from the Secretay of State to request any potential pause.
As this story develops we’ll be sure to keep you up-to-date. It‘s a changing industry, and it can be hard to keep track of all the news and events. To be sure you’re up to date, make sure you follow us on social media to stay in the know. For a frank and unbiased discussion of industry news, you can also check out our ‘What Time You On ‘Til?’ podcast, available on all major platforms.