Last week, Bristol City Council announced that Bristol’s new Clean Air Zone will come into operation on November 28th, 2022.
The scheme that was originally meant to launch in October last year will see the drivers of older, more polluting vehicles pay a daily charge to enter the zone. It is estimated that 30% of vehicles driving in the zone will be affected and that 75,000 drivers will pay the charge each day.
“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
Approximately 5 people die in Bristol every week because of toxic air pollution – those most vulnerable include children, older people and those with heart, breathing and underlying health conditions.
The Clean Air Zone will aim to improve air quality by reducing air pollution by 2023, in line with the legal requirements set by the WHO.
To be exempt from the charge, your vehicle must meet the following emission standards:
Bristol will be 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’s Clean Air Zone will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All year round.
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. Once the Bristol charge goes live on Caura on the 28th of November, the easiest way to check if you’re exempt from the CAZ charge will be to download the Caura app and enter your vehicle registration number.
We will have more information on fines for late emission charge payments closer to the zone going live.
There are quite a few exemptions to the charges. If you’re one of these people, you might not have to pay the charge:
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 charging zone will extend across the city centre and harbourside. The zone will operate 24/7, and like any other Clean Air Zone, the charge will only apply 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 will run along the following streets to create an enclosed zone:
As you drive towards Bristol, you’ll start to see CAZ signs. The signs will have a symbol with the Letter D, showing the Clean Air Zone class.
Closer to its launch date, the Bristol CAZ charge will be available to pay on Caura. 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!
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.