CONSULTATION FOR GREATER MANCHESTER CLEAN AIR PLANS AND TAXI STANDARDS
Greater Manchester (GM) is gearing up for two major public consultations in October to get a wide range of views on key ele- ments of the biggest Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the UK outside London, and minimum standards for taxis and PHVs licensed in the city-region.
People from across the region and beyond will be encouraged to have their say on GM’s plans through the consultations, which will run from Thursday 8 October to Thursday 3 December 2020.
As there is significant overlap between GM’s Clean Air Plan (CAP) and the pro- posed emission standards in the taxi and PH minimum licensing standards, the two consultations will run at the same time.
Government has instructed GM to intro- duce a Category C* class CAZ covering all ten local authority areas to tackle harmful air pollution on our roads.
Lockdown led to a huge improvement in air quality across the city-region, a reduction in road traffic and an increase in cycling and walking journeys. Since the pandemic restrictions have been reduced and more vehicles have returned to the roads, the levels of air pollution quickly returned, with many sites being above legal limits across Greater Manchester.
The clean air consultation will ask for views on key elements of the CAZ including the zone’s proposed boundary, daily charges, discounts and exemptions, and request to government for a multi-million-pound funding package to support local business- es to upgrade to cleaner vehicles.
Government has already committed £41 million to support GM businesses, sole traders and the voluntary sector to help upgrade to cleaner commercial vehicles ahead of the CAZ being introduced.
Leaders are also working with government to secure more than £100m in further finan- cial support, as well as a proposed £10m Hardship Fund for those businesses and organisations most affected by the CAZ.**
Alongside the CAP, GM leaders have pro- posed minimum licensing standards for taxis and PHVs licensed locally, that will help make services safer and more cus- tomer-focused, with high environmental and accessibility standards.
This approach stands to benefit drivers and the trade more widely, by strengthening public confidence in a well-regulated and
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locally licensed taxi and PH sector and will contribute to better air quality and lower carbon emissions.
The proposed standards, which would cover drivers, operators and vehicles, and local licensing authorities***, are designed to make sure every journey is safe, reliable and help secure their long-term future.
Cllr Andrew Western, Green City-region lead, said: “Greater Manchester needs to take action to improve air quality, now and for future generations.
“As air pollution does not respect geo- graphic boundaries, the ten Greater Manchester local authorities have come together to produce a joint plan.
“The minimum standards for taxis and PHVs will help deliver a shared vision for the future of the sector in Greater Manchester and a move away from harmful emissions.
“As part of the work around implementing the CAP, we have also secured funding that will help some locally licensed owners in renewing or upgrading their vehicles – with the aim to have an entirely zero-emission taxi and PH fleet across the city region by the end of the decade.”
To support the city-region’s taxi and PHV trade, GM has put together a significant package of support, including £20m of government funding to directly help the sector in upgrading their vehicles and assisting the move to a zero-emission fleet. We are proposing a temporary exemption for wheelchair-accessible taxi and PHVs as well as a ‘Try Before You Buy’ scheme for hackney drivers to test drive electric taxis, and will work with the trade to develop a network of taxi and PHV-only electric vehi- cle charge points.
In addition, GM will continue to lobby gov- ernment to change the law to prevent out of area operation, so only those who are licensed within the city-region, and meet GM’s high standards, can drive or operate in the area. A meeting with the trade is also set to take place in the coming weeks.
This consultation will be the first of its kind
and everyone, including taxi and PHV drivers and operators, will be able to give their views.
To find out more about Greater Manch- ester’s Clean Air Plans visit:
cleanairgm.com to sign up to for updates.
* A Category C class CAZ includes non- compliant buses and coaches, Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs) or vans, taxis and private hire vehicles.
** Greater Manchester leaders have called on government to provide more than £150m in total in financial support for businesses affected by the CAZ. This includes:
- A £28m Clean Taxi Fund for taxi and PH drivers and operators to switch to clean- er vehicles.
- A £10m hardship fund – dedicated to small businesses and sole traders who could face additional financial concerns to help them switch to compliant vehicles.
*** Standards would cover drivers, opera- tors and vehicles, and go further and greener than the government’s new standards for the sector by including a step-by-step pathway to reducing harmful emissions from taxis and PHVs.
For drivers, the proposals include: Common standards on criminal record checks; medical examinations; a local knowledge test; English language profi- ciency; driver training; driving proficiency; and dress code.
For vehicles, the proposals include: Vehicle emissions; age; colour (black for taxi/hackney, white for PHV); livery (com- mon Greater Manchester design with council logo incorporated); accessibility (all taxis to be wheelchair accessible); vehicle testing and design and licensing requirements; and CCTV.
For operators the proposals include: Basic criminal record checks for opera- tors' staff; more stringent requirements in relation to booking records; and for oper- ators to take more responsibility for the behaviour of their drivers.
For local authorities the proposals include: Developing a common enforcement approach and a framework to which licensing fees are set; and councillors to receive training before they hear applica- tions.
OCTOBER 2020
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