Bristol CAZ: City's clean air zone will start from summer 2022, Mayor reveals

  • Watch: City Mayor Marvin Rees on the new government-backed plans

A clean air zone will be introduced in Bristol from summer 2022 as part of the city's commitment to tackle the climate crisis.

After a series of delays submitting its plans to the central government, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees has today (5 November) announced the zone will start in 'summer next year'. An exact date is still to be revealed.

Bristol City Council says the zone - which will help the city meet its clean air target by 2023 - will be introduced without adding 'huge financial strain' on people as grants and loans will be available.

The scheme has been backed by the government, which is investing £42million into the city's greener transport initiatives.

How much will people get charged to drive in Bristol's clean air zone?

Only older and more polluting vehicles will have to pay a daily charge to drive in the zone. The council has set up a vehicle checker on its website.

The council says around 71 per cent of vehicles in Bristol will not have to pay to enter the zone as they are already compliant. The charges proposed are:

  • Private petrol cars - £9

  • Private diesel cars - £9

  • Taxis - £9

  • LGVs - £9

  • HGVs - £9

  • Buses - £100

  • Coaches - £100

Bristol underground and Park Street closed to cars proposed by mayor
Air Pollution: What you need to know

Where will the clean air zone cover?

The clean air zone covers a small area of central Bristol. Credit: Bristol Live

Who will be exempt from charges within the zone?

  • People on low incomes travelling into the zones for work

  • Patients and visitors to hospitals in the zones

  • Blue Badge holders and people with a disabled tax class vehicle or disabled passenger tax class vehicle

  • Community transport providers

  • People with commercial vehicles subject to financial agreements

  • Council-funded vehicles used as Home to School transport

  • Families who receive Personal Travel Budgets who travel through the zone on their school route

Mr Rees described it as a "real win" for Bristol, adding: "We are introducing one of the most wide-ranging clean air zones in the UK which will see us not only reduce air pollution but also help change how they travel, delivering a cleaner, greener, and healthier city for years to come.

"We are tackling a climate emergency, but we also have people facing financial crisis. We can't look at these two things in isolation.

"We have taken our time to find a way to clean up our air while not adding huge financial strain to people that live and work in our city."

As part of the plans, the Mayor has pledged to invest £5.9million to helping people switch to public transport and make more journeys through other transport means.

A total of £2million will go into a freight consolidation project to help businesses switch to greener ways of transporting goods.

A further £32million will go towards helping businesses upgrade HGVs, LGVs, taxis and private hire vehicles.

The authority says £1.8million of loans and grants will be available to help people on low incomes, or those travelling to work or study in the zones, who need to upgrade their vehicles to meet the zone's emission standards. The low income threshold will be £27,000 from Spring 2022.