'It’s a complete con!': More than 100 taxis stage Clean Air Zone protests across Greater Manchester

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Nearly 150 taxis across Manchester and Salford staged a two-pronged protest against the introduction of Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charges today (Febuary 3).

Drivers fear the new regulations in the 500 square mile CAZ will force many of them off the road because of the increased cost of buying compliant vehicles.

Some 100 taxi drivers assembled at the Etihad Stadium before making their way into Manchester city centre, blowing their horns as they looped past mayor Andy Burnham's offices in Oxford Road.

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And more than 40 drivers made the trip from the Salford City Roosters Rugby League Club, taking an hour to weave their way around the narrow roads of Monton and Eccles before arriving at Media City, where horns were blared.

Despite the numbers, both protests were low key, with organisers saying they wanted to keep traffic disruption around both cities to a 'minimum'.

Under the first phase of the CAZ, set to be launched in May and which will hit drivers of high-emission vehicles, will be a £60 charge for HGVs, buses and coaches, £10 for vans and £7.50 for taxis and private hire cars.

Meanwhile, under-fire Andy Burnham addressed calls on Mike Sweeney’s BBC Radio Manchester programme about the CAZ and explained that the zone will only last until the region’s air pollution falls within the limits set by law.

He said: “People think this is like a Trojan horse, that it will mutate into a congestion charge, and it will last forever and we will constantly ratchet up the requirements for people.

“Well let me just put that one to bed. This thing is a temporary Clean Air Zone. It needs to last as long we get to legal compliance with air limits."

David Lawrie,