Several exemptions end for Bath Clean Air Zone
But there's been confusion over exactly who the changes will impact
Last updated 15th Mar 2023
Several exemptions to Bath's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) have come to an end today (March 15), meaning more people will have to pay to drive into the city centre.
The CAZ itself was introduced exactly two years ago becoming the first in the UK outside of London.
However, unlike CAZ's in other areas, Bath's only applies to commercial vehicles, taxis and private hire vehicles, while individual cars and motorbikes are and remain exempt.
The changes introduced today mean the following groups that have also been exempt for the last two years, now have to pay:
- Wheelchair accessible taxis and private hire vehicles
- Community transport
- Blue Badge holders
- Community health, education or social care workers
- Exemptions under the terms of the Financial Assistance scheme
The daily charges apply 24 hours a day, all year round and reset at midnight.
For non compliant minibuses, taxis and light goods vehicles the fee is £9 per day, while it jumps to £100 per day for coaches, buses, and HGV's.
You can check if your vehicle is compliant via this link.
Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council’s cabinet member for transport Manda Rigby said: “When we went with the first CAZ outside London, we were determined to introduce it as equitably as possible, whilst hitting its air quality targets.
“We were very and repeatedly clear about all the exemptions having a two year period from the start.
"Bristol had slightly over six months exempted period, Birmingham had none at all for Blue Badge holders.
“It would be unfair on the 900+ residents who changed their vehicles with assistance from the finance scheme to help us all breathe cleaner air, if we didn’t do as initially shown in the scheme and changed the rules now for the very small minority who still have non compliant vehicles.”
The council recently said there have been 88 exemptions issued for Blue Badge holders, 27 of which were being actively used.
Thirty six have not been used in the last three months and 25 have never been used.
The charity Age UK runs community transport for its users across BANES so on the face of it, it would appear the end of exemptions would impact them.
However, Simon Allen, their chief executive in the region, says actually that's not the case.
"We've been trying to find out some of the detail and I think that's one of the things that's been a real issue with this announcement, is that it hasn't been particularly clear what the removal of these exemptions mean for organisations like ourselves but also for people who are blue badge holders and health and social care workers," he said.
"It turns out that actually the transport that we provide is still exempt, but under a national exemption, which is great news for the delivery of our services and presumably for other community transport organisations across the patch, but it really hasn't been very clear and not very well communicated, we would say."
Simon explains that their vehicles are covered by a national exemption concerning it's tax class, but joked, "don't ask me to explain that in detail".
"We really do rely on those exemptions to make delivering our service affordable," he said.
In response Councillor Rigby told us the exemptions and changes to them have been "planned and regularly publicised" by the council.
"We offered a wider range of exemptions than some other cities with Clean Air Zones and provided them following feedback from public consultation during the development of the zone," she said.
"Approximately 200 vehicles have been issued with exemptions and the number of those being actively used has reduced over time as vehicles have been upgraded.
"Any remaining holders of active exemptions have been contacted and tailored support offered to upgrade their vehicles.
"A small amount of government funding remains for the upgrade of vehicles and we are keen that this should be allocated to those who are most in need and travel in the zone on a frequent basis.
“People with disabilities are among the most affected by poor air quality and ending these exemptions leads to cleaner air. "
Another community transport group in the region has told us they "believe" they remain exempt, because they use vehicles registered to private individuals.