What Are Clean Air Zones?

The problem of poor air quality has been a growing concern for many years now. Indeed, prior to the UK’s exit from the EU, the former regularly fell afoul of air pollution limits imposed by the latter, incurring millions of euros’ worth of fines. In a bid to tackle the issue, the British government first raised the idea of Clean Air Zones (CAZs) in 2015.

Five cities were initially earmarked for hosting CAZs by 2020, though only one of them – Birmingham – has introduced its own measures to date. Meanwhile, Bath has also voluntarily brought in its own CAZ, while the ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ) in London means that the nation’s capital is exempt from associated legislation. But what exactly are CAZs, how do they work and will they be brought in to other cities in the future?

The origins of CAZs

Conscious that several of the UK’s major metropoles were falling short of air quality standards, the UK government specified that five of the most polluted (Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton) would have to introduce CAZ by 2020. This would involve the imposition of fees and fines on older and more polluting vehicles entering the CAZ, thereby theoretically reducing tailpipe emissions and improving air quality.

The proposals were part of a broader plan to improve the airways in cities around the country. In tandem with the CAZs, the government also intended to investigate smart technology aimed at providing better air quality monitoring data, as well as introduce other measures like enhanced public transport infrastructure and optimised traffic control to curb emissions and limit pollution.

How do CAZs work?

The CAZ system works via the use of sophisticated CCTV technology, which is capable of recognising the number plate of vehicles entering the zone and ascertaining not only who owns them, but what their minimum emissions standard is. If the vehicle’s standard complies with the regulations, no charge is applied. If, however, it’s an older and more polluting vehicle, a charge will automatically be applied to the owner.

For car owners, as well as those driving private hire vehicles, taxis, vans and minibuses, the relevant standard is Euro 4 for petrol engines and Euro 6 for diesel ones. Motorcycles must carry at least a Euro 3 standard, while HGVs, buses and coaches must comply with Euro VI regulations. For anyone unsure whether their vehicle is compliant, the government offers a free online tool which uses the registration number to determine if a charge is applicable.

Where are CAZs in play?

Although CAZs were supposed to already be in place in five cities across the UK, other anti-pollution measures have brought down contamination in many of them without the need for CAZs to be imposed. Monitoring plays a vital role in the air quality of cities and the latest figures show that Derby, Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton have safe levels of air quality or should reach them soon without a CAZ.

However, Birmingham has brought in a type D CAZ which applies to all vehicles on its roads. Contaminating cars are charged £8 per day to enter the zone, while HGVs are subject to a £50 per day fee. Bath has introduced a similar scheme, though it is type C rather than type D. This means that it only applies to commercial vehicles, not private residential ones. It remains to be seen whether other cities will follow suit in the near future.