Bristol Mayor, Marvin Rees, has given details of the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charges that will be introduced in October this year. Private vehicles that do not meet the emissions criteria will be charged £9 a day, a charge that will operate 24/7. A petrol car needs to be Euro 4 or better to avoid the charge, and a diesel car needs to be Euro 6 or better.
The City Council has said the following local exemptions will apply ‘for at least a year’:
- Bristol-based blue badge holders
- Residents living within the zone
- People visiting city centre hospitals including the BRI, Children’s Hospital and St Michael’s
- Low-income households driving into the city for work.
Councillor Mark Wright described the one-year exemption for residents within the zone as ‘very welcome and is a surprise.’
The Government has a useful website for you to check whether your vehicle passes the emissions criteria: https://www.gov.uk/check-clean-air-zone-charge. The proposed Bristol CAZ is not yet covered by this site but hopefully it will soon.