Clean air zone support for Greater Manchester fleets

Fleets in Greater Manchester can apply for funding from November to buy low-emission vehicles ahead of the introduction of the Greater Manchester clean air zone in May next year.

The new Financial Support Scheme service will allow companies to check their eligibility for, and access to, Government grants and subsidised finance to upgrade their vehicle or fleet to avoid paying a charge.

The process is fully automated so businesses will just need to enter their details to check their eligibility, before being presented with a range of funding options from approved lenders and brokers. The new system is built on software as a service (SaaS) provider QV Systems’ Accelerate platform.

The region has secured £120 million in Government funding to help fleets upgrade to cleaner, compliant vehicles (fleetnews.co.uk, 2 July).

Councillor Andrew Western, Greater Manchester lead for Clean Air, said: “As a city region, we are committed to tackling air pollution, which is the biggest environmental public health issue facing the city-region 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, but also delivers the funding support for those businesses, individuals and organisations who need to upgrade their vehicle to become compliant.”

QV Systems’ CEO Daniel Layne said: “This decade will see one of the biggest transformations in the history of personal transportation, with the phasing out of new petrol and diesel in favour of more environmentally friendly vehicles. The UK’s targets for clean air and the transition to greener fleets are among the most ambitious in the world.”