BATH CLEAN AIR ZONE

Bath gets clean! Here's everything you need to know about Bath's Clean Air Zone.

City charges screen in the Caura app showing the Bath CAZ charge and CAZ road sign
Caura app screen showing successful payment of the Bath CAZ charge

What is the Bath Clean Air Zone?

As the first Clean Air Zone introduced outside of London in March 2021, Bath's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is part of a nationwide scheme to crack down on air pollution. Since its launch, the scheme has successfully lowered levels of nitrogen dioxide by 21%, with more than 90% of HGVs, buses, coaches and taxis now compliant with emission standards.

Why does Bath need a Clean Air Zone?

"You can't see it and you can't smell it, but nitrogen dioxide is a hidden killer, contributing to as many as 36,000 early deaths in the UK each year." - Dr Bruce Laurence, director of public health.

When a city emits high levels of Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), it can affect a child's lung development and contribute to the development of asthma from an early age. The Bath CAZ is improving air quality by reducing air pollution to keep older residents and children of Bath safe.

If you drive a private car or motorcycle, you do not have to pay a charge. If your vehicle falls under these categories, you will need to pay the charge:

  • Coaches and buses: Euro 1-5/V diesel and Euro 1 to 3 petrol (or earlier)
  • Trucks and lorries (HGVs): Euro I to V diesel and Euro 1 to 3 petrol (or earlier)
  • Taxis and private hire vehicles: Euro 1-5/V diesel and Euro 1 to 3 petrol (or earlier)
  • Minibuses: Euro 1-5/V diesel and Euro 1 to 3 petrol (or earlier)
  • Vans: Euro 1-5/V diesel and Euro 1 to 3 petrol (or earlier)
Bath CAZ Charge

What you need to know

Bath is a Class C Zone, meaning buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans and minibuses are all included in the charge.

Bath CAZ operating times

Bath's Clean Air Zone will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All year round.

How much is the Bath CAZ charge?

The charge you need to pay is dependant on your vehicle type. Taxis, minibuses and vans need to pay a £9 fee whereas private HGVs, trucks, lorries, coaches and buses have to pay a £100 fee. Private cars or motorcycles are exempt from this charge.

Charges apply daily, so if you're entering and exiting the zone multiple times on the same day, you will only need to pay once.

But, if you drive in the zone across two days, for example before midnight and after midnight, you'll need to pay two daily charges.

Fines for the Bath CAZ

If you forget to pay the fee, you’ll get a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) in the post for a £120 fine. This is reduced to £60 if you pay it within 14 days.

Bath CAZ charge exemptions

There are quite a few exemptions to the charges. If you own one of these vehicles, you might not have to pay the charge:

  • Agricultural vehicles
  • Showman's vehicles
  • General haulage vehicles
  • Recovery vehicles
  • Special type vehicles
  • Health service vehicles
  • Emergency service vehicles
  • Volunteer vehicles supporting the emergency services

There are also some local temporary exemptions to support the vulnerable groups in the community. These exemptions will expire on 15 March 2023:

  • Wheelchair accessible taxis and private hire vehicles
  • Community transport
  • Blue Badge holders
  • Community, health, education and social care workers

If you were in the middle of a vehicle upgrade, there are some exemptions in place to support you through the change process. These exemptions will only apply while the vehicle is on order:

  • Upgrading with B&NES Finance Scheme
  • Upgrading to a compliant vehicle outside of B&NES Finance Scheme
  • Exemption under the terms of the Financial Assistance Scheme

Note that all of these exemptions are not automatic. You must submit an application through MiPermit via the Bath council website with appropriate supporting evidence.

Pay your clean air charges in seconds

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top of city charges screen
Bath CAZ charge

How much of Bath does the zone cover?

Bath's Clean Air Zone is only in operation in the city centre. The zone operates 24/7, and like any other Clean Air Zone, the charge only applies once a day even upon multiple entries and exits to the zone.

The CAZ stretches as far south as Oldfield Road, and just shy of St. Stephen's Church on Lansdown Road in the north. The main locations in the zone are:

  • Walcot
  • Bathwick
  • Kingsmead
  • Lower Bristol Road
  • King Edward's School
  • Royal Victoria Park
Bath CAZ map

How do I know if I'm about to drive into the CAZ?

As you drive towards Bath city centre, you’ll start to see CAZ signs. The signs will have a symbol with the Letter C, showing the Clean Air Zone class.

Pay the Bath CAZ charge with Caura

It just takes a few seconds to pay the Bath CAZ charge with Caura. Two taps and you’re done.

Simply download the app, enter your vehicle registration number, find Bath CAZ under City Charges and pay. All receipts are stored in the app, ready for you whenever you need them.

One app for everything car, all in one place

We don’t just help you with city charges. From vehicle tax to yearly insurance ­– Caura sorts all your admin so you can focus on the task at hand. Managing multiple vehicles? We've got you! Simply add all your cars to the same account for easy, quick payments.

Or thinking of heading to Bristol for the day? Plan ahead and pay for the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charge quickly in Caura. Find out more about the Bristol CAZ charge here.

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Everything car. All in one place.

FAQ

Questions?

Find answers to common questions here. If you can't find what you're looking for then email us on support@caura.com and we'll get back to you.

My account
Do I have to sign up to access Caura?

Yes. To enjoy the benefits of Caura, like timely reminders for tax and insurance, and ultrafast city charge and toll payments, you’ll need to create an account. This is so we can let you know about important expiry dates and booking details.

Can I change the email address I use for Caura?

You can’t currently change your email address on Caura (but we are working on it). As a workaround, you can log out of your current account and sign up with a new email address. We won’t be able to transfer the history over.

What happens if I forget my account credentials?

Easily done. Just tap ‘Forgot Password’ on the Log In screen - we’ll send you a password reset link via your registered email address. If you used your Google or Apple profile details (instead of an email address) to create your account, you’ll need to continue to use this sign-in method.

My account has been suspended, why?

Your account may be suspended as a precaution if we see evidence of fraud or a violation of our terms of service. Please email support@caura.com or send us a message in-app, and we can investigate this with you.

How do I delete my account?

Please email support@caura.com or send us a message in-app, and we can take care of that for you. Please feel free to let us know why you want to leave, as we’re always working to improve Caura for drivers like you.

Managing vehicles
How do I add or remove vehicles from my account?

To add a vehicle, simply swipe to the left on your current vehicle or tap the ‘+’ icon on the Home screen. To remove a vehicle, tap and hold on the vehicle image.

My vehicle cannot be found when I add my number plate, why not? 

All vehicles registered with the DVLA should show on Caura. Please make sure you are entering a valid number plate recognised by the DVLA. If the problem persists please email support@caura.com. 

Why can’t I see my updated vehicle details (e.g. tax, MOT) on Caura?

If you have made the update on Caura (e.g. paid for tax on Caura), it should update automatically within a few days. If it doesn't, you can pull down the image of your vehicle from the Home screen, which will refresh the app.

Managing payment methods
How do I add or remove a payment method?

You can add, remove and set your default payment method via the Payment Methods screen, accessed via the Account tab. To remove a payment method, swipe it to the left. To set a payment method as the default option, swipe it to the right.  

What if I need to change my AutoPay payment method?

Go to your AutoPay account in-app (by going to the City Charges screen). From your AutoPay account, tap the current payment method selected. You can then choose to change your payment method tied to your AutoPay, either select an existing payment method or add a new card to Caura. 

City Charges
What is a Clean Air Zone charge?

Clean Air Zones are coming soon to many UK cities, helping our air stay fresh for future generations. All vehicles are allowed in CAZ zones – but if their emissions are above a certain level, they’ll have to pay to pass through. 

You can learn more about different Clean Air Zones and the charges in place here.

Which cities have Clean Air Zones? 

You can find details of all active and planned Clean Air Zones here.

What Clean Air Zones can I pay for on Caura?

Currently, you can pay for Birmingham’s Class D Clean Air Zone charge, as well as the London Ultra Low Emission Zone charge and the Oxford Zero Emission Zone charge, in two-taps on Caura.

We’re working hard to bring more Clean Air Zones to Caura very soon. We’ll notify users via email or in-app notification when new zones launch, as well as communicate this on social media. In the meantime, if there is a charge payment you really want to see on Caura, let us know by emailing support@caura.com (it may just be what we focus on next!). 

What do the different types of Clean Air Zones mean? 

There are four types (class) of Clean Air Zone. The class of Clean Air Zone dictates which vehicles have to pay for entering the zone. 

For each of the class types, the following non-compliant vehicle types have to pay: 

  • Class A: buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles 
  • Class B: buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles and heavy goods vehicles
  • Class C: buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans and minibuses
  • Class D: buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses and cars, and the local authority has the option to include motorcycles too 
How do I know if I have to pay the Clean Air Zone? 

Please refer to the class type of the Clean Air Zone to understand which vehicle types have to pay. 

You will also be able to see exactly what you have to pay for a given Clean Air Zone, based on your vehicle’s type and emissions. 

The Clean Air Zones use ANPR cameras to automatically detect your vehicle when you drive into the charging zone. Look out for signs that clearly indicate the boundary of the zone.

If you try to pay for a charge that you're exempt from then Caura will not process the transaction, and you will not be charged.

What days can I pay the Clean Air Zone charges for on Caura?

Currently, you can pay for either today, tomorrow or yesterday in-app on Caura. Make sure you pay for the right date for any trips you make, as we’re unable to offer a refund for any payments made for the wrong day by mistake.

Does Caura charge an additional fee?

Caura charges no additional fee to pay for any Clean Air Zone, or to make any other transaction via the app. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider. 

What happens if I pay for the wrong day? 

If you’ve paid for the wrong day, unfortunately we aren’t able to offer a refund. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider. We’re unable to recover funds so we aren’t able to offer a refund. If you paid for a charge unnecessarily then you can request a refund from the zone operator, referencing the transaction ID on your payment receipt in the Caura app.

Where can I view my payment receipts in Caura?

You can view any payments you’ve made by going to the History tab in Caura. Tap on any payment in the list to view more detail. From there, you can even export a receipt to your email.

Bath Clean Air Zone
What is the Bath Clean Air Zone (CAZ)?

The Bath Clean Air Zone is an area in the city centre where certain non-compliant vehicles are required to pay a charge. This is part of a larger national scheme to reduce air pollution in cities in the UK. You can read more about the Bath CAZ here.

Where is the Bath CAZ?

Bath's CAZ applied to the entire city centre - from Royal Victoria Park and Approach Golf Course in the west to Bathwick and King Edward's School in the east. From St.Stephen's Church in the north to Oldfield Road in the south. You can view a map of the zone here.

What time does the Bath CAZ apply?

The charges apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All year round.

How much is the Bath CAZ?

The charge is £9 for taxis, minibuses and vans. The charge is £100 for private HGVs, trucks, lorries, coaches and buses. Private cars and motorcycles are exempt from the charge.

Are there any discounts or exemptions?

There are quite a few exemptions to the charge. You can find a list of all the categories exempt from the charge here. If you fall under any of these, you must submit an application through MiPermit via the Bath council website with appropriate supporting evidence.

Will I get fined if I don't pay the Bath CAZ?

You’ll get a £120 Penalty Charge Notice if you don’t pay for your Clean Air Zone charge. You can reduce this fine to £60 if you pay it within 14 days.

Is the Bath CAZ live?

Yes, it has been live since 15 March 2021.

Does Caura charge an additional fee?

Caura charges no additional fee to pay for the Bath CAZ, or to make any other transaction via the app. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider. 

What happens if I pay for the wrong day? 

If you’ve paid for the wrong day, unfortunately we aren’t able to offer you a refund. Caura doesn’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made, it goes straight to the end provider. We’re unable to recover funds so we aren’t able to offer a refund.

Where can I view my payment receipts in Caura?

You can view any payments you’ve made by going to the History tab in Caura. Tap on any payment in the list to view more detail. From there, you can even export a receipt to your email.

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