An East Lancashire MP has criticised Manchester’s Clean Air Zone and says it will “unfairly affect” Lancashire businesses.
The controversial Clean Air Zone, which is set to be introduced in May, means drivers will have to pay a daily fee to drive within the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone, which will operate across the 10 council areas in the conurbation.
Jake Berry, MP for Rossendale and Darwen, appeared on BBC Politics at the weekend where he “tried his best” to bring up some problems with the Clean Air Zone.
He said there needs to be a "total rethink" of the Clean Air Zone.
During his appearance, he mentioned that Lancashire bus operators travelling to Manchester could be forced to fork out over £20,000 per year in fees.
In the segment, he said: “The biggest threat to [bus] services here in Lancashire is Andy Burnham’s congestion charge.
“If you want to get a bus from Lancashire to Manchester your bus company is now going to have to pay £20,000 a year to access Greater Manchester.”
Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Jake said: “This is not a Clean Air Zone, it is a congestion charge that will unfairly affect Lancashire residents and I am totally opposed to it.
"It has been badly thought out and will only add to the financial pressures for thousands of people.
“It will cost each bus that crosses the border into Greater Manchester up to £21,000 a year.
"If you drive a van or light goods vehicle it could cost you over £3,000 a year. This will mean an increase in fares, higher prices and reduction in services to cover the increased cost.
“That is why I have been working with my neighbouring Conservative MPs from across Greater Manchester and the surrounding areas such as Lancashire, High Peak and Cheshire, calling for Andy Burnham to scrap his plan.
“We have asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, The Rt. Hon. George Eustice MP, to veto the unpopular, unworkable, local business bankrupting proposals brought forward by Andy Burnham and the Greater Manchester Local Authorities and tell them to go back to the drawing board.”
Berry has encourage people to follow the Facebook group, Rethink the Clean Air Zone, which is campaigning against the congestion charge.
Local bus operators won’t be the only businesses affected by the new Clean Air Zone charges as it will directly impact taxi services too.
The owner of Blackburn-based Flightlink Airport Transfers, which offers transportation for people in Lancashire to Manchester Airport, say he is “worried” about what the congestion charge will mean for his business.
Annas Mulla said the new Clean Air Zone could cost the business more than £2780 a year, which he will have to make back by increasing his prices or investing in a pricier vehicle.
He said: “It’s going to be difficult. It’s going to cost me £7.50 a day to go through Manchester Airport and I will have to make that money back somehow.
“It’s something I am worried about as I will be forced to put prices up, starting from May, when that’s the last thing I want to do.
“There isn’t even any type of financial support we can claim – any that currently exist goes to the people and businesses of Manchester.”
What is Manchester’s Clean Air Zone?
The first phase of the Clean Air Zone is due to launch on 30 May 2022 affecting buses, HGVs, taxis and private hire vehicles licensed outside Greater Manchester, and coaches which don’t meet emission standards, with some exemptions.
Although private cars will be exempt, the owners of vehicles including vans, HGVs, taxis and buses will have to make the payments if their motors do not meet certain emission standards designed to improve air quality.
The daily rate will be set at £7.50 for taxis, £10 for vans and £60 for lorries, buses and coaches.
The government has made £120m available to fund financial support packages, with grants on offer of up to £12,000 for replacement of the largest HGVs and £4,500 for vans.
However, none of this money has been reserved for businesses that lie just beyond Greater Manchester’s borders in any of the Lancashire districts whose fringes sit on the dividing line, such as Chorley, Blackburn with Darwen, Rossendale and West Lancashire.
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