Birmingham today became the second city in the UK to launch a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), after Bath – but city council said it would not apply charges for the first two weeks after ‘a number of startup problems.
The Class D zone affects older cars, as well as buses and vans, which produce more toxic emissions. Unlike Bath, which only restricts commercial vehicles, drivers of non-compliant cars will have to pay a fee to enter Birmingham city center. This makes the Birmingham area the first CAZ in the UK to apply restrictions on ordinary passenger cars.
The system went live today (June 1), but the board said it would offer a “soft launch” with drivers not being required to pay the fee until Monday, June 14. The announcement followed reports that some users were having difficulty paying in advance online.
Birmingham City Council transport cabinet member Waseem Zaffar said: ‘Although we have agreed to a two week smooth launch period where people don’t have to pay, I encourage all. the world to use this time to check their vehicles, familiarize themselves with the charging process and check out the support which is always available on the Brum Breathes website. “
Clean air zones: what you need to know
In order to travel within the ZAC without incurring any costs, vehicles must meet at least Euro 4 emissions standards if it is a petrol model and Euro 6 if it is diesel.
However, some vehicles that fall outside these margins may still avoid the charge: vehicles with a disability tax class, for example, do not have to pay and there is also a two-year exemption for residents of The area.
Although Birmingham is stricter on passenger cars than Bath, the fees it charges drivers of non-compliant vehicles to enter CAZ are lower. HGVs, buses and coaches have to pay £ 50 per day to use CAZ, half of the fees charged for vehicles comparable to Bath.
Additionally, taxis have to pay £ 8 per day to use the area, the same costs incurred by drivers of non-compliant private cars.
The area encompasses all of Birmingham’s A4540 Middleway Ring Road, except the ring road itself, and is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including public holidays.
The AA has estimated that around 100,000 cars in Birmingham will be affected by the area.
Birmingham is one of many cities that achieve CAZ for the purpose of reducing emissions and improving air quality. In August, Oxford is expected to install a similar initiative called the zero emission zone. As the name suggests, only zero emission vehicles will be able to use this zone without paying any fees.
Other cities expected to adopt CAZ are Bristol, Portsmouth and Manchester.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-05-31 23:01:24
