Bradford Clean Air Zone goes live
Thu, 29 Sept 2022
- Bradford Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is now live.
- Vans, minibuses and taxis that are older than Euro 6 diesel or Euro 4 petrol will have to pay to enter the city centre.
- Passenger cars and motorbikes are exempt.
Drivers of older polluting vans, minibuses and taxis now have to pay to enter Bradford city centre after its clean air zone (CAZ) went live on 26 September 2022.
The minimum standard is Euro 6 diesel (vehicles registered after September 2015) or Euro 4 petrol (vehicles registered after 2005), with non-compliant vans and minibuses being charged £9 and taxis £7. Passenger cars and motorbikes are exempt.
Bradford is one of number of UK cities where air pollution levels have breached legal limits and it is required by Government to take action to address this.
The Bradford CAZ has been designed around those areas where air pollution levels exceed the legal limit. Chargeable non-compliant vehicles are predicted to make up four per cent of all traffic and the Bradford CAZ is expected to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by 35 per cent and CO2 by 147,000 tonnes.
Bradford Council said that the biggest improvements in air quality from the clean air zone will be at Bradford schools, in the health of children, their families and school staff.
It is estimated that poor air quality is associated with 33 per of childhood asthma cases in Bradford, and research shows that disadvantaged communities in Bradford "bear the greatest health burden" from pollution, whilst being the least likely to own a vehicle, the council said.
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said: "Bradford is acting on a Government directive to implement a charging Clean Air Zone. We know that air pollution levels are too high and have damaging impacts on the health of too many of our residents. There’s no escaping that fact.
"After protracted negotiations with Government the CAZ has been designed very carefully to exempt private cars, motorbikes, and local businesses, while having an immediate and material impact on the air we all breathe. What we have to stop is polluting commercial vehicles from outside the district using Bradford as a de facto motorway, coming through the district but not stopping to do business here."
She added: "The support from transport operators in the District has been incredible. Ninety-two per cent of taxis in Bradford are already compliant, along with over 370 buses meeting clean air zone standards.
"The clean air zone will substantially reduce air pollution in Bradford and improve the health of residents, their families and our communities."
Any revenue from the introduction of the Bradford CAZ will be reinvested in further programmes in the district to reduce harmful emissions. This may include support for zero emission buses, further help for residents and businesses to upgrade their vehicles, the development of hydrogen in the district and support for schools to reduce emissions in their areas, the council said.
Where is the Bradford CAZ?
The Bradford Clean Air Zone (CAZ) includes the area inside the Bradford outer ring road and extends out along the Aire valley corridor, (Manningham Lane/Bradford Road and Canal Road area) to include Shipley and Saltaire.
Do I have to pay to enter the Bradford CAZ?
The Bradford Clear Air Zone (CAZ) is a charging CAZ. However, assenger cars and motorbikes are exempt.
Non-compliant vans and minibuses (older than Euro 6 diesel and older than Euro 4 petrol) have to pay £9 to enter the zone while non-compliant taxis pay £7 and HGVs, coaches and buses have to pay £50.
Why is my car not compliant with the London ULEZ?
Which cars are ULEZ compliant?
