Bristol Clean Air Zone one month away
The zone will come into force on November 28
Last updated 28th Oct 2022
Take this as your official warning that Bristol's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is just one month away.
The CAZ will come into force on November 28, meaning from then onwards anyone who drives into Bristol City Centre in a non-compliant vehicle, in an area spanning from the end of the M32 in the East to the Portway in the West, will be charged for the privilege.
Non-compliant cars, taxis and vans face a £9 daily charge, while for lorries, HGVs (heavy goods vehicles), buses and coaches it will be £100.
It's being done as the City Council has a legal duty to improve air quality.
“We are committed to reducing air pollution in Bristol and continue to offer people support to consider alternative, more sustainable ways of travelling in our city," Mayor Marvin Rees said.
"We want Bristol to be a healthier place for everyone to grow up, live and work, but recognise that this comes with challenges.
“We’ve been able to secure financial support of £42 million from government for people and businesses to use, but now Bristolians need to make sure they’re getting ready.
"I want to remind people that there are several types of support which are open for applications before the Clean Air Zone launches in four weeks’ time.”
Temporary exemptions from the charges will be available for various groups including people who live within the CAZ, people who work at the various hospitals in the centre including the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Children's Hospital as well as patients, plus people on low incomes.
Eligible people can also apply for grants and loans to help upgrade their vehicle to a compliant model, via the city council's website.
We recently asked people in the city centre what they thought of the CAZ.
"I think it's important to take care of the environment," one man said.
"The only problem is the fees...somebody working in the centre of Bristol or even if you're going in shopping, that's a lot of money.
"My car is a diesel, we've looked it up on the website, sadly my car is not compliant, but luckily my wife has a car which is compliant so I'm going to take her out to dinner, do a deal with her and use her car when I come into Bristol."
Other people also expressed concern at the fees, though they added they hoped it would improve air quality.
"I didn't realise it was £100 a day for HGVs," another man said.
"The commercial charges seem high, in my opinion, £100 is a lot.
"But £9 a day, I think for personal use, is enough to make people think 'ok maybe I won't buy a car, I'll get a bike...or I'll plan my life a little bit differently.'"
"If it was the be all or end all with you having to go into the city, you can pay that £9," one woman said.
"It's affordable enough."
Vehicles which drive into and out of the zone continually in a single day will only be charged once, however, there are a few key complications to note.
Firstly, the daily cut off for fees will be midnight, which means if you were to enter the zone briefly in the evening, leave it again and then drive back in after midnight, you would be charged twice, even if both entries occurred during the same journey.
Secondly, drivers of non-compliant vehicles who enter the zone will not receive any confirmation that they have done so.
"People will not receive written notification or any kind of alert that they have entered Bristol’s Clean Air Zone or that a payment is due," a statement from the council reads.
"Individuals and businesses are fully responsible for managing this."
That means that if you were to drive into the zone and then forget you need to pay, you could be liable for a much larger fine.
If you do not pay the entry fee within six days, you could then be handed a £120 fine, though that would itself be reduced to £60 if you paid it within 14 days.
Business owners can sign up to the Business Accounts Feature, to set up a Bristol-specific account to help manage payment for multiple vehicles entering and exiting the Zone.
You will also be able to pay via the link www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones, or by phoning the Clean Air Zone support line on 0300 029 8888 (Monday to Friday: 8am to 7pm, Saturday: 8am to 2pm).
Smart phone users can also pay the charge using free-to-use apps like Caura, but always make sure platforms are trustworthy before entering any personal payment information.
If you want to check whether your vehicle is compliant you can do so here.
All other information on the CAZ is available here.