MANCHESTER CLEAN AIR ZONE
Confused about the upcoming Manchester Clean Air Zone (CAZ)? Find out all you need to know!
What's happening with the Manchester Clean Air Zone?
The original Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone (CAZ) plan included a Greater Manchester-wide charging zone which meant only the most polluting commercial and private hire vehicles would have been charged to drive within the zone.
In February 2022, the government agreed to push plans back, and as a result, the first phase of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone did not go ahead on 30 May 2022. Greater Manchester's air quality must now meet legal standards set by the government by 2026.
A new proposal for the CAZ will be announced in 2023. Keep an eye on this page - we'll be updating it with all the necessary information!
Why does Manchester need a Clean Air Zone?
Poor air quality affects everyone's health, particularly the most vulnerable people in society: deprived communities, children, elderly people and those with chronic conditions like asthma, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Air pollution contributes to nearly 1,200 premature deaths in Greater Manchester every year.
One the zone is launched, all commercial & private hire vehicles that meet the following emission standards will not be charged:
- Taxis: Euro 6 for diesel (typically after September 2015), Euro 4 for petrol (typically after 2005)
- Vans & LGVs: Euro 6 for diesel (typically after September 2016), Euro 4 for petrol (typically after January 2006)
- HGVs, buses & coaches: Euro VI (typically after 2014)
If you drive a private car or motorcycle, you will also not have to pay a charge.
What you need to know
The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone will be a Class C Zone, meaning buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses & LGVs will all be included in the charge.
Manchester CAZ operating times
Once the zone launches, the Manchester Clean Air Zone will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All year round.
When will charging start for the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone?
Charging for the Manchester Clean Air Zone is still under review. We will update this page once more information is provided.
How much will the Manchester Clean Air Zone charges be?
The charge you will need to pay will be dependant on your vehicle type.
The proposed Manchester Clean Air Zone charges are as follows:
- £60 a day for HGVs, buses and coaches
- £10 a day for vans
- £7.50 a day for taxi and private hire vehicles.
Private cars, motorbikes and mopeds will not be included in the plan.
Once the zone in live, charges will 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 Manchester Clean Air Zone
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.
Manchester Clean Air Zone exemptions
More information around exemptions from the charge will be available once a new plan has been announced. Once charging for the zone begins, you will be able to use our Manchester Clean Air Zone vehicle checker in-app to check if your vehicle is exempt from the charge. If it's not, you will also be able to pay for the Manchester CAZ charge in Caura in just a couple of taps.
Is there any support available?
Greater Manchester has secured £120m in government funding to help eligible owners of non-compliant vehicles upgrade to compliant vehicles. The government has said this funding will continue to be available for the new Clean Air Zone plan.
Information around financial support available under the new plan will become available once the new charging plan has been announced.
Pay your clean air charges in seconds
How much of Greater Manchester will the zone cover?
The zone will cover all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan.
It includes local roads, but does not include motorways and major trunk roads which are managed by National Highways.
Find a more detailed Manchester Clean Air Zone map below:
How do I know if I'm about to drive into the CAZ?
Signage around the CAZ have already started to go up. As you drive towards the zone, you’ll start to see CAZ signs. The signs will have a symbol with the Letter C, showing the Clean Air Zone class. However, charging for the CAZ will only start once the zone goes live. More information will be provided in 2023.
Upcoming Manchester Clean Air Zone, sorted in Caura
Once the zone is live, we will add the charge to Caura. You'll then be able to check whether your vehicle is exempt from the charge by simply entering your vehicle registration number. If your vehicle is not exempt, Caura will automatically calculate how much you will need to pay depending on your vehicle type, and you'll be able to pay for the charge in just two taps. All you'd need to do is select the charge, choose the date you wish to pay for and pay using Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit or debit card.
Keep on top of your car admin
Once you input your vehicle registration number in-app, Caura will send you renewal reminders for your MOT, car insurance and car tax. Caura syncs up with the DVLA to also allow you to renew car tax in-app when it's due!
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.
Manchester Clean Air Zone
What is the Manchester Clean Air Zone?
The CAZ will see commercial and private-hire non-compliant vehicles charged a daily fee to enter the zone. You can read more about the CAZ charge here.
Where is the Manchester CAZ?
The zone will cover all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan.
It includes local roads, but does not include motorways and major trunk roads which are managed by National Highways.
What time does the Manchester Clean Air Zone apply?
The charges apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All year round.
How much are the Manchester Clean Air Zone charges?
The Manchester Clean Air Zone charges are as follows:
- £60 a day for HGVs, buses and coaches
- £10 a day for vans
- £7.50 a day for taxi and private hire vehicles.
Private cars and motorcycles are exempt from this charge.
Are there any discounts and exemptions?
Information around exemptions and discounts will be made available once the new charging plan is announced. We will continue to update our dedicated Manchester Clean Air Zone page as more information is announced.
Is there any support available?
Greater Manchester has secured £120m in government funding to help eligible owners of non-compliant vehicles upgrade to compliant vehicles. Government has said this funding will continue to be available for the new Clean Air Plan.
Information around financial support available under the new plan will become available once the new charging plan has been announced.
We will continue to update our dedicated Manchester Clean Air Zone page as more information is announced.
Will I get fined if I don't pay the Manchester CAZ charge?
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.
Is the Manchester CAZ live?
The Manchester Clean Air Zone is not live yet.
More information will become available once a new charging plan is announced in 2023. We will continue to update our dedicated Manchester Clean Air Zone page as more information is announced.
Does Caura charge an additional fee?
Caura charges no additional fee to pay for the Manchester 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.
If you have paid for the wrong day, please get in touch with our customer service team in-app or by sending an email to support@caura.com.
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.