Manchester UK: The government has rejected calls by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to drop plans to charge motorists to enter the city’s Clean Air Zone,
Environment Secretary George Eustice 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. He believes that it is 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.”
