Get ‘in the zone’ with our guide to Bristol’s Clean Air Zone
CLEAN Air Zones are distinct, ring-fenced areas in larger cities where special rules apply to help reduce the amount of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant in the air, which harms our health.
A major source of air pollution in cities is road traffic, particularly diesel engines. Bristol’s Clean Air Zone will ensure the legal limits for air pollution across the city are met within the shortest possible time.
Bristol’s Clean Air Zone launches on Monday November 28, 2022. No vehicles are banned from the zone, but older and more polluting vehicles will have to pay to drive into it.
Will you need to pay to drive into Bristol’s Clean air Zone?
More than 71% of vehicles travelling through Bristol already meet the emission standards for the zone, so chances are, you won’t need to do anything, but you should check before you make your journey. Enter your vehicle registration details on the government’s online vehicle checker to find out whether you’ll need to pay Bristol’s Clean Air Zone Charge.
entering the Zone
Signs with a cloud symbol and the words ‘CAZ D’ inside clearly mark the entry points to Bristol’s Clean Air Zone on the roads leading up to it. You’ll see the signs on major routes like the M32 motorway and the Portway (A4 from the M5 motorway) as well as on smaller access roads.
CAZ D is the category of Clean Air Zone run by Bristol and means both commercial and private vehicles entering the zone must meet its emission standards or pay the charge to enter.
Charges
The daily charges for vehicles that do not meet the zone’s emission standards are:
• Private cars - £9
• Taxis - £9
• Light Goods Vehicles - £9
• Heavy Goods Vehicles - £100
• Coaches - £100
• Buses - £100
Daily charges apply 24 hours a day (midnight to midnight), seven days a week, all year round when entering or driving in the zone. Because charges apply daily, you can enter or leave the zone on multiple occasions each day you pay a charge and only be charged once for that day. If you drive in the zone across two days, for example before midnight and after midnight, you will need to pay two daily charges. Charges do not apply if a vehicle is parked in the zone but does not move.
how to pay
Charges must be paid via gov.uk/clean-air-zones or by calling the Clean Air Zone support line on
0300 029 8888 (Monday to Friday:
8am to 7pm, Saturday: 8am to 2pm).
Users of smart phones can also pay the charge using some free-to-use apps, but you should always check platforms are trustworthy before entering any personal payment information.
You will not receive written notification or an alert when you have entered the zone and a payment is due. You are fully responsible for managing all payments.
You can pay the charge to enter Bristol’s Clean Air Zone from up to six days before until six days after you enter the zone. If you do not pay the charge you may be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice of £120 (which is reduced to £60 if you pay it within 14 days).
Use gov.uk/clean-air-zones to pay charges or find out whether you’ll need to pay Bristol’s Clean Air Zone charge by entering your registration. You can see a map here bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/ bristols-caz/view-a-map