How much will motorists be charged to enter Bristol's clean air zone?
City mayor Marvin Rees revealed last week that drivers will have to pay a fee to enter a zone covering a small area of central Bristol.
Motorists will be charged to enter a clean air zone (CAZ) in the city centre – but how much?
City mayor Marvin Rees revealed last week that drivers will have to pay a fee to enter a zone covering a small area of central Bristol.
Older private cars and commercial vehicles that are more polluting will be charged to enter the ‘small CAZ D’.
The small charging zone was one of two options Bristol City Council was required to consult on as it worked towards a final plan for cleaning up the city’s air.
It has not yet revealed all the details in the final proposal it must submit to the Government next month.
But when asked about them, it set out which diesel, petrol and hybrid vehicles are likely to attract a charge, according to its consultation proposals.
It also provided “current estimates” about the fees that would apply 24/7.
Vehicles that are not compliant with emissions standards will attract a daily charge of £9 or £100, according to those estimates.
Private cars, taxis, vans and minibuses will be charged the lower fee, whereas lorries, buses and coaches will be charged the highest.
Proposed CAZ charges for non-compliant vehicles
Private cars – £9 per day
Taxis (hackney carriages and private hire) – £9 per day
LGVs such as pick-up trucks and vans (up to and including 3.5 tonnes) – £9 per day
Heavier vehicles (over 3.5 tonnes) – £100 per day
Buses and coaches – £100 per day
Whitehall has ordered the council to find the fastest way to get Bristol’s air pollution to within legal limits.
The council initially proposed a diesel ban but this was rejected by the government, which then required the council to consult on two more options.
These were the ‘small CAZ D’ alone, and another option combining the ‘small CAZ D’ with a larger clean air zone, called a ‘medium CAZ C’, that charges commercial vehicles but not private cars.
A council spokesperson said: “For both options, the charges would apply 24 hours a day, seven days a week to non-compliant (older, more polluting) models of each type of vehicle.
“Vehicles would only be charged once in each 24 hour period.”
The authority had hoped the road changes introduced during the pandemic to help social distancing and encourage walking and cycling would improve air quality enough to avoid CAZ charges altogether.
But Mr Rees said on January 13: “The evidence that has come through the modelling suggests we are going to be implementing a small area CAZ D.
“This is in line with our moral responsibility to deliver clean air in the shortest possible time but also that’s going to be tested legally because the legal requirement is to get to compliance in the shortest possible time.
“A small area CAZ D seems to be the one coming out of the modelling that says it will provide that route.”
The council’s full business case will go to City Hall cabinet next month before formal submission to government.
It must be approved by the Government before it is introduced.
Officially, the implementation deadline is March 2021, but that date could shift.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has asked the council whether it has negotiated a new deadline with the government.