BRISTOL CLEAN AIR ZONE
The Bristol CAZ affects all drivers of non-compliant vehicles! Download Caura to check exemption status, or pay the charge in just two taps - it's the fastest way!
What is the Bristol Clean Air Zone?
In order to reduce harmful levels for air pollution in the city's air, Bristol City Council introduced a CAZ on the 28th of November. The CAZ means that all drivers of older, more polluting vehicles need to pay a daily charge to enter the zone. Around 25% of vehicles driving in the zone are affected meaning around 75,000 drivers will need to pay the charge each day.
Why does Bristol need a Clean Air Zone?
“Poor air quality has a major impact on the health of everyone in the city and the Clean Air Zone will help us tackle this issue and meet government targets for cleaner air in 2023.” – Mayor Marvin Rees
Air pollution contributes to around 300 deaths each year in Bristol. Those most vulnerable include children, older people and those with heart, breathing and underlying health conditions.
The Clean Air Zone aims to improve air quality by reducing air pollution by 2023, in line with the legal requirements set by the government.
To be exempt from the charge, your vehicle must meet the following emission standards:
- Petrol vehicle: Meet Euro 4 emission standards. (roughly 2006 onwards)
- Diesel vehicle: Meet Euro 6 emission standards. (roughly 2015 onwards)
- Hybrid vehicle: Meet the above standards dependant on fuel type.
- Have a fully electric vehicle.
What you need to know
Bristol is a Class D Zone, meaning buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses and cars are all included in the charge.
Bristol CAZ operating times
Bristol’s Clean Air Zone operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All year round.
How much is the Bristol CAZ charge?
The charge is £9 for cars, vans (light goods vehicles) and taxis. The charge is £100 for heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches. Motorcyclists are exempt from the charge.
It is down to you to know if your vehicle meets emission standards. The easiest way to check if you’re exempt from the CAZ charge is by downloading the Caura app and entering your vehicle registration number.
Fines for the Bristol CAZ
If you fail to pay the CAZ you will be issued with a penalty charge notice of £120, which is reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. The Penalty Charge is payable in addition to the Clean Air Zone daily charge dependant on your vehicle type.
Bristol CAZ charge exemptions
There are quite a few exemptions to the charges. If you’re one of these people, you might not have to pay the charge:
- Residents - If you live in the Clean Air Zone and have a vehicle that will be charges, you can apply for an exemption.
- People who earn less than £26,000 a year.
- Blue badge holders
- Hospital patients and visitors
If you fall under any of these categories, you will not have to pay the charge even if your vehicle doesn’t meet the emission requirements. However, you will need to apply for exemption on the Bristol Council website – applications for this will open in September.
The Bristol Council website also states that these exemptions will expire on 31st March 2023.
Pay your clean air charges in seconds
How much of Bristol does the zone cover?
The charging zone extends across the city centre and harbourside. 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.
From Cumberland Basin in the west to Temple Meads & Cabot Circus in the east. From the Bearpit & BRI in the north to Coronation Road in the south. The border of the CAZ runs along the following streets to create an enclosed zone:
- Temple Way
- Temple Gate
- Approach Road
- Old Market Street
- Bond Street South
- Temple Bridge
- Newfoundland Way
- Houlton Street
- Bond Street
- St James Barton Roundabout
- Marlborough Street
- York Street
- Brunswick Square
- Pritchard Street
- Upper Maudlin Street
- Perry Road
- Park Row
- Woodland Road
- Lodge Street
- Trenchard Street
- Frogmore Street
- Park Street
- Hotwell Road
- Brunel Way
- Bath Road
How do I know if I’m about to drive into the CAZ?
As you drive towards Bristol, you’ll start to see CAZ signs. The signs have a symbol with the Letter D, showing the Clean Air Zone class.
How do I pay the CAZ charge?
The fastest way to pay the Bristol CAZ charge is on Caura. Simply download Caura and load your car (or cars) onto the app. Along with paying for the Bristol CAZ charge, the app will also tell you whether you are exempt.
Manage all your car admin in one app
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 Bath for the day? Plan ahead and pay for the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charge quickly in Caura. Find out more about the Bath CAZ charge here.
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.
Bristol Clean Air Zone
What is the Bristol Clean Air Zone (CAZ)?
A zone that covers the city centre and harbourside, that drivers of more polluting vehicles must pay a charge to drive within. You can read more about the Bristol CAZ here.
Where is the Bristol CAZ?
From Cumberland Basin in the west to Temple Meads & Cabot Circus in the east. From the Bearpit & BRI in the north to Coronation Road in the south. You can view a map of the zone here.
What time does the Bristol CAZ apply?
The charges apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How much is the Bristol CAZ?
The charge is £9 for cars, vans (light goods vehicles) and taxis. The charge is £100 for heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches. Motorcyclists are exempt from the charge.
Are there any discounts or exemptions?
Many cars and vehicles are exempt. You can find a list of all the categories exempt from the charge here. If you fall under any of these categories, you will need to apply for an exempt status on the Bristol Council website.
Will I get fined if I don’t pay the Bristol CAZ?
Like any other CAZ, there will be a fine for late emission charge payments. The value of the fine will be told to us closer to the zone going live.
Is the Bristol CAZ live?
Yes, the Bristol Clean Air Zone went live on November 28th, 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. Along with paying for the Bristol CAZ charge, the app will also tell you whether you are exempt. Once the zone goes live, we will send you a notification in-app as a reminder so that you never miss a charge!
Does Caura charge an additional fee?
Caura will charge no additional fee to pay for the Bristol CAZ, or to make any other transactions 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.