Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone (CAZ) signage

Government has instructed many local authorities across the UK to take quick action to reduce harmful Nitrogen Dioxide ("NO2") levels following the Secretary of State issuing a direction under the Environment Act 1995 to undertake feasibility studies to identify measures for reducing NO2 concentrations to within legal limit values in the 'shortest possible time'. In Greater Manchester, the 10 local authorities, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority ("GMCA") and Transport for Greater Manchester ("TfGM") are working together to develop a Clean Air Plan to tackle NO2 Exceedances at the Roadside.

TfGM now wishes to procure a GM CAZ Signage Agreement which shall enable the operation of a category C Charging Clean Air Zone ("GM CAZ") within the administrative boundary of the 10 Greater Manchester local Authorities, excluding the Strategic Road Network ("SRN"). The GM CAZ will apply to vehicles whose movement is detected within the zone and charges will be applied to certain categories of non-compliant vehicle not covered by an exemption as defined within the Clean Air Zone Framework and GM's Clean Air Policy, the latter being subject to consultation.

(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploa...) GM anticipates that once implemented the GM CAZ will remain in full operation until at least the second half of 2026. If it is demonstrated by the second half of 2026 that two consecutive years' of compliance with legal limit value for NO2 and there is confidence that compliance will continue to be maintained then the GM authorities can together seek the agreement of the Secretary of State to suspend the charging scheme order and commence the decommissioning of the GM CAZ.

The procurement of the Signage Agreement will enable the GM CAZ Scheme by securing a contract for works and services, namely the manufacture, supply, installation, operation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and (at TfGM's option) decommissioning, of circa 2,350 signs across Greater Manchester to inform the public of the presence and boundaries of the GM CAZ Scheme. TfGM reserves the right to require the Supplier to manufacture and install additional signs throughout the term.

The decommissioning element of the Signage Agreement is to be entirely at TfGM's option and TfGM reserves the right at its absolute discretion whether or not to instruct the Supplier to carry out such works at the appropriate time. This procurement covers all roads in Greater Manchester, except for motorways and some major trunk roads, which are outside the scope of this procurement, the required road signage for which will be attended to by Highways England. The requirements of the Signage Agreement include all boundary signage, internal repeater signs and advanced warning signs on local roads within the ten Local Authorities of Greater Manchester and the eight neighbouring Authorities.