More Clean Air Zone delays as it's revealed 1,000-plus buses made green at cost of £15m might not comply
manchestereveningnews.co.ukHundreds of buses in Greater Manchester upgraded in a bid to bring down pollution might still not be meeting emissions standards.
The government is now reviewing whether retrofitting buses at a cost of up to £16,000 each has worked, causing further delays in the region's Clean Air Zone saga.
As of March, 1,153 of the 2,063 buses in Greater Manchester were retrofitted to meet emissions standards, costing £15m. But in April, the government paused funding for the clean-up scheme, revealing that some retrofitted buses were not cutting nitrogen dioxide emissions as much as expected.
This puts Greater Manchester's plans to bring air pollution down below legal limits in doubt. Last year, the region put forward a proposal to scrap the charges that some vehicle owners were set to face under the Clean Air Zone. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. The controversial scheme would have cost taxis, vans, buses, coaches and lorries which do not meet emissions standards up to £60 a day for driving on any of Greater Manchester's roads except for motorways.
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