Civil and electrical engineering firm McCann has won a £3m signage deal as part of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone (CAZ) project due to launch in May next year.
The scheme includes a Category C charging CAZ so non-compliant commercial and passenger vehicles, but not private cars, that do not meet required emission standards will pay a daily charge for access to the Zone.
The first of 850 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that will enforce the zone have already been installed and a financial support scheme due to launch in November.
Greater Manchester has secured more than £120m in government funding to help local businesses, people and organisations to upgrade to cleaner vehicles, before the introduction of the charge on 30 May 2022.
The funding would support eligible van, heavy goods vehicles, buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles and minibus owners to finance cleaner, greener vehicles that meet nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emission standards.
Transport for Greater Manchester has identified signage works, including the need to de-commission, manufacture, install and maintain 2,800 signs, to help with the enforcement of the scheme.
Nottingham-based McCann has been commissioned to deliver these signage solutions, which include boundary, internal repeater and advanced warning signs to notify drivers of the CAZ regulations in place.
Signage works are due to start in October 2021, with McCann employed on an initial 5-and-a-half-year contract.
McCann’s construction director, Adrian Cronin, said: 'As a company, we’re committed to improving air quality and reducing emissions - either through the projects we undertake or through how we operate.
'We were delighted to achieve ‘Go Ultra Low’ status in 2020 - with 53% of our vehicles either electric hybrid or fully electric at the start of last year - and we're now working towards making our entire fleet of company cars all-electric by 2025.
'Our industry must play its part in tackling climate change, and we’re wholeheartedly committed to achieving the reductions needed in CO2 in order to improve air quality for everyone.'
The 10 Greater Manchester councils are under direction from government to introduce the category C Clean Air Zone to secure compliance with NO2 legal limits on local roads in the shortest possible time, and by 2024 at the latest.
A six-week consultation is underway until 13 October on two proposed inclusions to the Clean Air Zone:
- Including sections of the A575 and A580 at Worsley in the charging scheme.
- Including M1/ M1 SP vehicles with a body type of ‘motorcaravan’ within the charging scheme.
Greater Manchester lead for Clean Air, Cllr Andrew Western, said: 'We, as a city region, are committed to tackling air pollution, which is the biggest environmental public health issue facing us and contributes to around 1,200 deaths in Greater Manchester alone each year.
'That’s why we have developed a Clean Air Plan that not only helps us meet government requirements on nitrogen dioxide air pollution and delivers major health benefits for our residents; but also delivers the funding support for those businesses, individuals and organisations who need to upgrade their vehicle to become compliant.'
Contracts for the CAZ have also been signed with Egis Projects SA, AECOM Limited and QV Systems Limited to build and operate the GM Clean Air Zone, expand the GM Clean Air Plan NO2 monitoring network and the technology underpinning the GM Clean Air Plan Financial Support Scheme.
