Sheffield and Bristol City Councils have launched a consultation on their clean air plans, with both councils considering a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) covering all vehicles except private cars.
High polluting taxis, vans, HGVs, buses and coaches would pay a charge to enter the zone within the city’s inner ring road but private cars would not.
In Sheffield potential charges are likely to apply to vehicles that are older than Euro 6 for diesel (2016) or Euro 4 for petrol (2006). These would be set at around £50 a day for buses, coaches and HGVs, £10 a day for taxis and private hire vehicles and £10 a day for vans and LGVs.
In Bristol the consultation discusses two options for the Clean Air Zone.
The first option is a charging zone for the most polluting buses, coaches, taxis, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and light goods vehicles (LGVs). Private cars would be excluded.
Taxis and LGVs would be charged £9 a day while HGVs, coaches and buses would have to pay £100 a day. It would also include an HGV weight restriction on the worst polluted routes 24 hours a day, seven days a week and a scrappage scheme of up to £2,000 for diesel cars.
The second option is banning all diesel cars from driving in a specific central area from 7am to 3pm, seven days a week. This would not apply to taxis/private hire or emergency services.
Other measures including a scrappage scheme could also be included.
The deadline for responding to the Bristol consultation is 12 August 2019 and for Sheffield is 25 August.
For further information, please visit the Bristol City Council website and the Sheffield City Council website.
