Van owner in tax class trap

A van owner from Bath has said he will “have to go to Bristol” for shopping because of the clean air zone charges.

Luke Edwards, 36, converted his Volkswagen Transporter into a campervan after he bought it five years ago and uses it to tour festivals in the summer.

The 2007 vehicle is his only mode of transport and incurs the £9 daily charge in the zone.

Mr Edwards, inset, said: “My van is registered as a motorcaravan but because it started life as a panel van it is still in the tax class of the panel van.

“I changed it on the V5 to a motorcaravan but the tax class doesn’t change and they use that to decide what qualifies for the charge.

“The DVLA won’t change the tax class, but other vehicles that are older that are down as campervans are exempt, even though they are more polluting.”

The Newbridge Road resident said he had spent a lot of time and money on the DIY conversion and couldn’t take his daughter “with her kiddy seat” into Bath on the bus. I will have to drive to Bristol any time I want to do any shopping, it’s easier to drive to Longwell Green than into Bath. “I’m not opposed to the clean air zone. I think something needs to be done, I just think it’s misleading and people are going to get caught out,” he said.

Mr Edwards said he had heard of other van-owners in the same position.

Cllr Sarah Warren, joint cabinet member for climate emergency and neighbourhood services, said: “Grants and/or interest free finance is available to eligible businesses or individuals with chargeable vehicles regularly travelling in the zone (two or more times a week).

“As well as upgrading to new or used vehicles, the grants can be used to retrofit camper vans that residents don’t want to have replaced, and we’re talking to a number of owners in this position.”