B&NES Council will introduce a Clean Air Zone on Wednesday, November 4th 2020. The CAZ will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and will see charges of £100 per day for higher emission buses, coaches and HGVs; and £9 per day for higher emission taxis, private hire vehicles, minibuses, LGVs and vans (including private vans, campervans and pick-ups) to drive in the zone.
Charges will only apply to pre-euro 6 diesel vehicles (five years or older) and pre euro 4 petrol vehicles (14 years or older). Charges will not apply to private cars and motorbikes, regardless of their emissions.
Limited exemptions and concessions have been approved to support drivers of some non-compliant vehicles (e.g. higher emission taxis/vans/minibuses) delivering important services, or with very hard-to-replace vehicles. These include organisations that provide community-based education, health or social care services, the emergency services and blue badge holders. Those who think they might be eligible for concessions and exemptions are being asked to check the council’s website at www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathCAZ and will be asked to register their vehicles with the council in the spring.
The final business case will now be submitted to the government’s Joint Air Quality Unit for approval in February. This includes a request for a further £4.1m to install the scheme at a total cost of £10m after £5.95m was advanced to the council for its design and development), and a significant bid for £14.2m of capital to fund the desired support and mitigations. It also outlines how any revenue from the scheme, over and above its operating cost, would be reinvested in initiatives that encourage more sustainable transport and travel in the area.