BRADFORD CLEAN AIR ZONE

The Bradford CAZ is here! Here's everything you need to know.

City Charges screen in the Caura app showing the Bradford CAZ charge and CAZ road sign
Caura app screen showing successful payment of the Bradford CAZ charge

What is the Bradford Clean Air Zone?

To help limit air pollution, Bradford has launched its own Clean Air Zone (CAZ) on 26 September 2022 to control emissions in the city. This is part of a national scheme to improve air quality and people's health; locally the scheme has been coined 'Breathe Better Bradford'.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, several areas of Bradford are exceeding the legal pollution limit levels for Nitrogen Dioxide which are set at 40 µg/m3. It is estimated that the reduction in air pollution will also reduce hospital admissions from breathing difficulties by 10%.

Why does Bradford need a Clean Air Zone?

“1 in 5 of our children have a breathing problem" - Andrew Whittles, Air Quality Director, Bradford Council

To help safeguard the health of its residents, as well as the environment, Bradford has implemented a Clean Air Zone that will see drivers of older, non-compliant vehicles pay a daily fee to enter the zone.

For the Bradford charging CAZ, non-compliant vehicles are Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles that:

  • Do not meet Euro 6 emissions standards (so are Euro 5 or older) if they are diesel.
  • Do not meet Euro 4 emissions standards (so are Euro 3 or older) if they are petrol.

Private cars, motorcycles and vans will not be charged to drive in the zone.

Bradford CAZ Charge

What you need to know

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

Bradford CAZ operating times

Bradford’s Clean Air Zone operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All year round.

How much is the Bradford CAZ charge?

The charge you'll need to pay is dependant on your vehicle type. The charge is £7 for taxis and Private Hire Vehicles. Non-compliant LGVs and minibuses will pay £9 and HGVs, buses and coaches will pay £50 per day. 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 Bradford 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.

The Penalty Charge is payable in addition to the Clean Air Zone daily charge dependant on your vehicle type.

Bradford CAZ charge exemptions

You’re automatically entitled to an exemption and do not have to pay a charge if you have:

  • A vehicle that’s Ultra Low Emission
  • A disabled passenger tax class vehicle
  • A disabled tax class vehicle
  • A military vehicle
  • A vehicle retrofitted with technology accredited by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS)
  • A historic vehicle
  • Certain types of agricultural vehicles

There are quite a few other exemptions to the charges. If you drive one of these vehicles, you will need to apply for exemption on the Bradford Council website:

  • Charity vehicles
  • School buses
  • Emergency response vehicles
  • Private hire vehicles (5-8 passenger seats)
  • LPG private hire vehicles (up to 4 passenger seats)
  • Specialist vehicles
  • Local SME vehicles
  • Residents vehicles
  • Motorised horseboxes
  • Motor caravans
  • Limited supply vehicles
  • Showman's vehicles

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Top of city charges screen
Bradford CAZ charge

How much of Bradford does the zone cover?

The Bradford CAZ covers the area inside, and including, the Bradford outer ring road.

It will also extend out to include:

  • The Aire Valley Corridor
  • Manningham Lane
  • Bradford Road
  • Canal Road
  • Shipley
  • Saltaire
Bradford CAZ map

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

As you drive towards the Bradford outer ring road, you’ll start to see CAZ signs. The signs will have a symbol with the Letter C, showing the Clean Air Zone class.

How do I pay the CAZ charge?

The fastest way to pay the Bradford CAZ charge is by using Caura. All you need to do is download Caura for free and load your car (or cars) onto the app.

Once you enter your registration plate in the app, we will automatically display the exact charge you need to pay based on your vehicle type. Then, pay in two taps and you’re done.

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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.

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

The Bradford Clean Air Zone is a chargeable zone where certain non-compliant vehicles will be required to pay a fee to enter. This is part of a larger national scheme to reduce air pollution in cities in the UK. You can read more about the Bradford CAZ here.

Where is the Bradford CAZ?

The zone includes everything inside Bradford’s outer ring road, as well as the Aire Valley Corridor, Manningham Lane, Bradford Road, Canal Road, Shipley, and Saltaire. You can view a map of the zone here.

What time does the Bradford CAZ apply?

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

How much is the Bradford CAZ?

The charge is £7 for taxis and Private Hire Vehicles. Non-compliant LGVs and minibuses will pay £9 and HGVs, buses and coaches will pay £50 per day. Private cars or motorcycles are exempt from this 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 via the Bradford council website with appropriate supporting evidence.

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

No, the zone will go live on September 26th, 2022.

How can I prepare for the zone before it goes live?

Get a head start by downloading Caura and loading your car (or cars) onto the app. If you are exempt from the charge, the app will automatically notify you and you will not have to pay. If you are not exempt, we will send you a notification in-app once the zone goes live so that you never miss a charge!

Does Caura charge an additional fee?

Caura charges no additional fee to pay for the Bradford 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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