Businesses and local authorities amazed to be told that vans must be included in the Clean Air Zone.
Following two years of planning and meetings, some of which CarLease UK have been involved in, the government has asked Manchester to bring forward the date for vans to comply with the Clean Air Zone requirements.
The planned date of 2023 is now being called into question as a ministerial instruction has asked for this to be 2021.
Greater Manchester has asked that the Government should stick to the planned 2023 date at the same time as asking for more than £100m in grants to modify or replace non-compliant vehicles such as coaches, buses and taxis.
So far, the Government response has been to offer £36m to fund the cameras for the system that would issue fines to anyone that is non-compliant.
The Mayor, Andy Burnham, has called for an urgent meeting with the Government. He has said today that Taxi drivers have been working with TFGM to agree a fair and clean strategy, one which the Government seem determined to scupper at the last minute.