Charges revealed for Bristol Clean Air Zone
The plans could be submitted to central government for approval next week
Last updated 18th Feb 2021
Bristol City Council's plans for a Clean Air Zone could see private motorists charged ÂŁ9 a day to drive through the centre.
The council hopes to submit their proposals to central government next week, as the zone must be in place by October 29.
It had hoped to avoid forcing drivers of polluting vehicles to pay to enter a CAZ, but has calculated it must impose charges to meet its legal obligation to reduce the city’s traffic air pollution to within legal limits in the shortest time possible.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: “We have a moral responsibility to deliver clean air, we recognise that, but never forget we have a legal responsibility to deliver compliant air in the shortest possible time.
“We will be putting mitigations in place to support people through the transition… We don’t want the burden falling disproportionately on people who are most vulnerable and we don’t want to undermine jobs within the city.
“But… our mitigations will not get through JAQU if they do anything to undermine the integrity of the scheme and deliver clean air, compliant air quality in the shortest possible time.”
Marvin Rees divulged key details of the proposed scheme in a press briefing on Wednesday (February 17), noting a number of exemptions and mitigations to protect certain groups.
People who live in the Clean Air Zone as well as Bristol-based Blue Badge holders will be able to apply for a one-year exemption before they have to start paying a fee.
People on low incomes will also be able to apply for a one-year exemption if they have to drive in and out of the zone to get to work. This group – individuals earning less than £24,000 a year and no more than £12.45 per hour – will also be prioritised for financial support packages under the council’s proposals.
When it comes to private cars, taxis and LGVs, charges will only apply to diesel vehicles that are Euro 5 standard and below, so roughly 2014 and older, and to petrol vehicles that are Euro 3 and below, so about 2006 and older.
As well as the charge for them, larger vehicles - such as buses, coaches and HGVs – that emit unacceptably high levels of pollutants, will be charged £100 a day.
Most of the exemptions are for one year to allow time for people to upgrade to cleaner vehicles and take advantage of financial support and scrappage schemes.
Emergency service vehicles, disabled passenger vehicle tax classes 78 and 85, motorcycles, and classic cars are automatically exempt under CAZ rules set out by the Government.
The council has estimated that, if traffic returns to pre-Covid levels, about 74,700 out of 258,000 vehicles would be charged to enter Bristol’s CAZ each day when the zone goes live.
It estimates around 27 per cent of private cars are not compliant with emission standards and will attract a clean air charge.
Similarly, it believes about 39 per cent of LGVs, 25 per cent of HGVs and five per cent of buses and coaches will have to pay a daily fee.
However, the council is asking the government for money to provide financial support packages for households and businesses to upgrade their vehicles.
Provided its plans are rubber-stamped by the Labour cabinet next week, the council intends to submit them to the Government’s Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) the following day (Friday, February 26).