Oxford to introduce Britain's first Zero Emission Zone on 28 February

Oxford City Council has confirmed the nation’s first ‘pilot’ Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) will launch later this month and charge drivers of all petrol and diesel vehicles to use designated streets in the city centre – even motorists at the wheel of green hybrid cars.

Unlike London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ), charges will be enforced on all vehicles that have a combustion engine, with only 100 per cent pure-electric models exempt as part of the local authority’s efforts to reduce air pollution levels in the city. 

It confirmed last week that the pilot zone will be enforced from 28 February with daily charges of between £2 and £10 depending on how polluting a vehicle is.

If successful, the scheme could be extended to cover the entire city centre on a permanent basis, with charges rising from 2025.

Britain's first Zero Emission Zone to begin this month: These are the streets where the Oxford ZEZ will be piloted from 28 February

Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone to begin this month: These are the streets where the Oxford ZEZ will be piloted from 28 February

From 28 February, the ZEZ will cover eight streets in the city centre only: New Road, between Bonn Square and its junction with Castle Street; Bonn Square; Queen Street; Cornmarket Street; New Inn Hall Street; Shoe Lane; Market Street, from Cornmarket junction east for 40 metres; Ship Street; and St Michael’s Street.

The charge to drive along these streets will be enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

If the scheme is found to cut air pollution levels in Oxford, a public consultation will be held around expanding the ZEZ to cover much of the city centre – and with higher charges.

Even ultra-low emission plug-in hybrids will not be spared from the charge, with the ZEZ demanding payments of £2 per day from drivers of these cars from 28 February. 

And, under current plans, charges on the greenest of hybrids (ones that produce less than 75g/km CO2) will rise to £4 from August 2025 if the ZEZ is introduced on a wider scale.

Drivers of petrol cars meeting at least Euro 4 standards and the latest Euro 6 diesels will pay £4 per day from the end of this month, which will rise to £8 per day from 2025 if the scheme is enforced after the trial.

Any motors older than that will have to fork out £10 daily when it’s introduced later this month – rising to £20 a day from August 2025.

Motorists will be able to pay the ZEZ on the county council’s website, though they will only be able to do so from the first day the pilot scheme launches. 

After 28 February, ZEZ charges for driving anything but a zero-emission electric vehicle can be paid up to six days in advance, on the day it is driven in the zone, and up to six days after. 

Oxford City Council said it will extend the ZEZ to cover most of the city centre if the pilot is found to cut air pollution levels

Oxford City Council said it will extend the ZEZ to cover most of the city centre if the pilot is found to cut air pollution levels

Unlike London’s ULEZ, the charging zone isn’t 24-hour operational.

It will run between the hours of 7am and 7pm, and there are intended discounts and exemptions for some road users, including health and care workers, Blue Badge holders and students with financial hardship. 

Residents and businesses operating from inside the zone can also apply for a 90 per cent discount while there is a 50 per cent discount for private hire vehicle drivers. 

We are taking concrete actions to improve air quality in the city and to make it cleaner and safer 

Councillor Duncan Enright

Commenting on the zone’s launch, Oxford City Councillor Tom Hayes said: ‘The City Council has chosen to set the toughest air quality standards of any local authority in the country. There is no safe level of air pollution. 

‘As the Chair of the Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership, we set up, the City Council has helped to establish a data-led, science-based target of creating a net zero city by 2040. 

‘We have high ambition matched with a pragmatic desire to work with anyone and listen to a range of views; that’s how you meet the climate crisis and clean our dirty air and deliver social justice at the same time.’

Councillor Duncan Enright, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy, added: ‘This is a proud moment for our city. The first ZEZ scheme in the country is launching in Oxford. 

‘We are taking concrete actions to improve air quality in the city and to make it cleaner and safer.

‘I want to thank all the residents and businesses who sent us their feedback on the pilot and worked with us to develop the scheme. Our vision is to create a zero-carbon transport network by 2040 and the ZEZ pilot is an important step towards achieving that vision.

‘We will learn from the pilot and in the coming months we will consult with local communities as we develop plans to expand the ZEZ across the city centre. We hope that residents, businesses and visitors will join us in our journey towards a carbon neutral future.’

Will you be charged to drive where you live? The 14 other UK locations where councils will enforce emission tax zones on motorists  

Under government orders, councils have been told to curb their air pollution levels – and to do so, they should rid their roads of the dirtiest vehicles.

The emissions tax on those using older vehicles arrived with the ULEZ in London in April 2019 – a £12.50 sting on motorists that was expanded to cover the area between the North and South Circular Roads in 2021. 

Birmingham became the first UK city to introduce a charging zone for car drivers outside the capital in June last year, with its CAZ demanding an £8 payment each time a user of a non-compliant vehicle enters the boundary around the city centre.

And it’s not the only metropolis that’s going to be demanding such levies from drivers. Some 15 in total (including Oxford) will – or at least plan to – introduce similar zones for motorised vehicles. 

Here’s a list of each one and when they are expected to launch… 

Cleaner capital: London's ULEZ has been expanded to 18 times its original size and now covers much of the capital within the boundaries of its outer ring roads

Cleaner capital: London’s ULEZ has been expanded to 18 times its original size and now covers much of the capital within the boundaries of its outer ring roads

LONDON – Introduced (expanded on 25 October 2021)

What is it: Ultra Low Emission Zone charging older petrol and diesel vehicles in the capital 

When is it going to be introduced: Enforced in the Congestion Charge Zone from 8 April 2019 – expanded 18 times in size to inner London on 25 October 2021

Emission tax type: ULEZ 

Vehicles charged: Buses, coaches, taxis (registered black cabs exempt), private hire vehicles (PHVs), heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), light goods vehicles (LGVs) and car drivers

Cost to car drivers:  £12.50 daily charge if a diesel car isn’t Euro 6 or petrol isn’t at least Euro 4

The capital’s ULEZ was first enforced within the limits of the Congestion Charge Zone from 8 April 2019 and on 25 October 2021 was expanded to cover most of inner London.

Drivers of diesel cars not adhering to Euro 6 emissions standards (generally registered from 2016) and petrols failing to meet Euro 4 (generally registered from 2006) have to stump up £12.50 a day to enter the zone. 

That’s on top of the £15 a day Congestion Charge, taking the current total for entering central London to £24 if you don’t have a compliant motor.

ULEZ is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week apart from Christmas Day. It’s a daily charge, which means if you enter the zone at 23:00 and leave at 02:00, you will need to pay twice (£25). 

Driving a non-compliant car into the capital just once a week will rack up an annual bill of £650 – more than many drivers pay for insurance and road tax combined. Using an ineligible car five days a week will hammer drivers with a £3,250 bill per annum. 

It is enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras on the outskirts of the zones and failed payment within 24 hours of entering the zone will result in fines of £160 (halved to £80 if paid within two weeks).     

The capital's Ultra Low Emission Zone has been enforced in Central London since April 2019. However, from 25 October 2021 it has been expanded to cover much of the city, with up to 300k people predicted to face the driving tax if £12.50 each day

The capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zone has been enforced in Central London since April 2019. However, from 25 October 2021 it has been expanded to cover much of the city, with up to 300k people predicted to face the driving tax if £12.50 each day

The ULEZ extended on 25 October 2021 to cover the hugely-populated area up to, but not including, the A406 North Circular and A205 South Circular roads – and there is no resident discount available.

Is your car CAZ, LEZ, ULEZ and ZEZ compliant? 

Knowing your car’s Euro emissions rating is more important than ever, given the increasing number of levies and fines being introduced for older cars, especially diesels. 

Most Clean Air, Low Emission and Ultra Low Emission Zones being – or already – implemented impact pre-Euro 4 emissions petrol and pre-Euro 6 emission diesel cars.

It’s worth using the ULEZ checker online (or via your car’s V5/V5C logbook at the bottom of Page 2 in the section entitled ‘Exhaust Emissions’) to see which category your models falls into, though it roughly will be designated by when it was first registered, as listed below:

Euro 1 – from 31 December 1992

Euro 2 – from 1 January 1997

Euro 3 – from 1 January 2001

Euro 4 – from 1 January 2006 (common minimum standard for petrol cars)

Euro 5 – from 1 January 2011

Euro 6 – from 1 September 2015 (common minimum standard for diesel cars

TfL estimates that 100,000 cars per day will be affected by the ULEZ expansion along with 35,000 vans and 3,000 HGVs.

Based on these estimations, the ULEZ will bring in some £1,987,500 every day for the Greater London Authority. That’s almost £14million a week, or £723million a year.

However, the AA believes more than 300,000 people in the London area will be affected — many on lower incomes who will struggle to afford to trade up to a cleaner and more expensive car.

AA president Edmund King said: ‘We all want cleaner air but the AA calculates that the London ULEZ on Monday will hit three times more car owners than the Mayor is letting on.

‘The vast majority of those are low-income London residents with the least ability to afford a replacement vehicle.

‘In effect, they are being priced off the road and being denied the mobility that is often critical for getting to work, shopping with a large family and having flexibility in emergencies, such as rushing a child to A&E.’

Those who have returned to offices in the capital on a hybrid working basis of just two days a week would incur £1,125 in charges per year if their vehicle is non-compliant, while a driver who enters the ULEZ five days a week for work would have to pay up to £2,800 per annum

A report commissioned by City Hall predicts that the ULEZ expansion could see almost 300,000 fewer people developing chronic diseases, such as asthma and type-2 diabetes, than otherwise expected by 2050.   

Bath's Clean Air Zone is designed to reduce air pollution in the centre of the city, though only by predominantly targeting buses and HGVs

Bath’s Clean Air Zone is designed to reduce air pollution in the centre of the city, though only by predominantly targeting buses and HGVs

Bath is the first city in England to introduce a Clean Air Zone outside of London - though it currently doesn't impact car drivers

Bath is the first city in England to introduce a Clean Air Zone outside of London – though it currently doesn’t impact car drivers

Different types of Clean Air Zone (CAZ) explained – and what they mean for the car-driving public

CAZ A – Charges for drivers of buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles

CAZ B – Charges for drivers of heavy goods vehicles, buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles

CAZ C – Charges for drivers of light goods vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles 

CAZ D – Charges for drivers of cars, light goods vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles

BATH – Introduced

What is it: The first emissions tax introduced outside of London – but does not charge car drivers

When is it going to be introduced: Enforced from 15 March 2021

Emission tax type: CAZ C

Vehicles charged:  Buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs, HGVs and LGVs

Cost to car drivers:  Zero 

The first CAZ in England outside of London launched on 15 March 2021 and demand the highest daily payments from drivers of buses and lorries that enter the centre of Bath – but private cars and motorbikes are exempt from the scheme, for now.

Bath and North East Somerset Council said the move could cut its air pollution to below legal levels by the end of 2021.  

Drivers of high-emission commercial vans are forced to pay a £9 fee and HGVs and buses £100. Private hire vehicles and taxis also have to pay £9 per day.

ANPR cameras are installed on all roads leading into the zone, and vehicle number plates will be checked against a DVLA database to make sure the area is enforced. 

Motorists with non-compliant, chargeable vehicles – including those from outside the UK – must declare and pay for their journey online or they will receive a penalty charge notice.

There are currently no plans for passenger cars and vans to face the daily charge.

Birmingham is the first Clean Air Zone to impact car owners on Britain: All users of pre-Euro 4 petrol and pre-Euro 6 diesel cars have since June 2021 faced a daily charge of £8 to drive within the limits of the A4540 Middleway Ring Road in the West Midlands city

Birmingham is the first Clean Air Zone to impact car owners on Britain: All users of pre-Euro 4 petrol and pre-Euro 6 diesel cars have since June 2021 faced a daily charge of £8 to drive within the limits of the A4540 Middleway Ring Road in the West Midlands city

BIRMINGHAM – Introduced

What is it: Daily charge for drivers of older petrol and diesel cars to enter the limits of the city ring road

When is it going to be introduced: Enforced from 1 June 2021

Emission tax type: CAZ D

Vehicles charged: Buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs, HGVs LGVs and car drivers 

Cost to car drivers:  £8 daily charge if a diesel car isn’t Euro 6 or petrol isn’t at least Euro 4

Birmingham’s CAZ D is Britain’s first pollution-related tax on drivers of passenger cars outside the capital. 

The zone’s border is Birmingham’s ring road, essentially meaning drivers of non-compliant motors will be stung each time they enter the city centre. 

All drivers of pre-Euro 4 petrol and pre-Euro 6 diesel cars will face a daily charge of £8 to drive within the limits of the A4540 Middleway Ring Road.

It was initially due to have come into force overnight on Tuesday 1 June 2021 but Birmingham City Council announced later that morning that it would ‘soft launch’ the scheme, with charging delayed for a fortnight.

This was reportedly due to the lack of local understanding and knowledge of the zone being introduced, which resulted in floods of complaints from motorists driving into the West Midlands city on the first day of operation. 

Enforcement of charges began on 14 June 2021, with one city councillor admitting: ‘We understand that not everybody in the city, despite all our extensive conversations, is aware of this particular project.’

The council-backed levy is expected to affect around a quarter of all cars on the city’s roads, according to the AA. 

The Birmingham CAZ is enforced 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It means a driver who enters the zone at 11pm and leaves after midnight will have to pay the charge twice

Birmingham City Council had estimated ahead of its introduction that a quarter of cars used in the city are non-compliant with the scheme

The Birmingham CAZ is enforced 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It means a driver who enters the zone at 11pm and leaves after midnight will have to pay the charge twice

The daily fee should be paid online and there is also a government-funded Clean Air Zone team you can call on 0300 029 8888 for assistance.

There is an allocated 13-day payment window for the scheme, so you can either pay six days before the day you use your non-compliant vehicle in the CAZ, on the same day you enter the zone, or up to six days after (up to 11.59 hours on the sixth day) you drove into the restriction.

The scheme will operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and be policed by ANPR cameras. It means a driver who enters the zone at 11pm and leaves after midnight will have to pay the charge twice.

Those with ineligible vehicles who fail to stump up the daily amount will be slapped with a fine of £120 (reduced to £60 if paid within a fortnight).   

Portsmouth's plans for a clean air zone cover a 3km-squared area, mostly to tackle emissions from traffic coming through the city to reach its ports

Portsmouth’s plans for a clean air zone cover a 3km-squared area, mostly to tackle emissions from traffic coming through the city to reach its ports

PORTSMOUTH – Introduced

What is it: Clean Air Zone to sting incoming vehicles but not car drivers

When is it going to be introduced: Enforced from 29 November 2021

Emission tax type: CAZ B

Vehicles charged:  Buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs and HGVs

Cost to car drivers: Zero

The charging CAZ in Portsmouth is approximately three kilometres square and will tackle incoming traffic.

Private cars, motorcycles and vans will not be charged, though older polluting HGVs, buses and coaches will pay £50 per day to travel through the zone – and non-compliant taxis and private hire vehicles will pay £10 per day.  

ABERDEEN, DUNDEE, EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW – Due Spring 2022 

What is it: Low Emission Zones banning older petrol and diesel vehicles

When is it going to be introduced: Spring 2022 but not enforced until 2024 

Emission tax type: LEZ

Vehicles charged: Buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs, HGVs LGVs and car drivers 

Cost to car drivers:  Penalty Charge Notice of £60 (reduced by 50% if paid within 2 weeks) for non-compliant cars  

The four biggest Scottish cities – Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow – are currently subject to plans being drawn up for Low Emission Zones (LEZ), with the intention to go live this year.

However, enforcement of the zones will not begin until 2024, under existing plans to encourage motorists and businesses to prepare and replace their older vehicles. A LEZ Leadership Group is currently ironing out regulatory steps required for the Scottish Government and each local authority to introduce zones to restrict the use of older, polluting vehicles. 

Sign designating the boundary of Glasgow's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) were erected in 2019, though it is unlikely to go live until the middle of 2022 and enforcement not beginning until 2024 to allow motorists and businesses to prepare

Sign designating the boundary of Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) were erected in 2019, though it is unlikely to go live until the middle of 2022 and enforcement not beginning until 2024 to allow motorists and businesses to prepare

Once legislation is in place, local councils will be given the freedom to adapt their own versions of a LEZ in order to meeting their air pollution targets.

Each LEZ is likely to be in the city centre. It could see a ban on vehicles that fail to meet the minimum required emission standards – likely to be Euro 6 for diesel cars and Euro 4 for petrols. The restriction will also impact diesel-powered Euro VI HGVs and buses.

These LEZs will differ to the aforementioned zones as non-compliant vehicles will be banned entirely, rather than charged a fee.

Instead of being able to pay a non-compliance charge, the LEZ will see owners of ineligible motors issued with a Penalty Charge Notice.  

The initial penalty charge for all non-compliant vehicles is set at £60, reduced by 50 per cent if it is paid within a fortnight.

A surcharge is also proposed whereby the penalty amount doubles with each subsequent breach of the rules detected in the same LEZ. The penalty charges are capped at £480 for cars and light goods vehicles and £960 for buses and HGVs.

After 90 days of last breaching the rules, the surcharge rate will be reset. 

The Scottish LEZs will operate continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round, and be enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras linked to a national vehicle licencing database. 

Some non-compliant vehicles will be allowed to use the zones without being issued a PCN. These include: police vehicles; ambulance and emergency vehicles; Scottish Fire and Rescue; Her Majesty’s Coastguard; National Crime Agency; Military vehicles; Vehicles for disabled persons (including blue badge holders); Showman’s vehicles.

‘Historic vehicles’ will also be exempt – likely classic cars over 40 years of age. 

BRADFORD – Due Spring 2022

What is it: Clean Air Zone that does not charge car drivers

When is it going to be introduced: Spring 2022

Emission tax type: CAZ C

Vehicles charged: Buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs, HGVs and LGVs

Cost to car drivers: Zero

This is the Clean Air Zone boundary planned for Bradford

This is the Clean Air Zone boundary planned for Bradford

The proposed Bradford Clean Air Zone would cover the city centre, Canal Road corridor, Shipley and Saltaire where pollution is highest. However, it won’t sting passenger car drivers or motorcyclists.

Instead, the zone will only charge HGVs, LGVs, buses, coaches and private hire vehicles, with daily rate being as high as £50 for non-compliant vehicles.

There will be a ‘comprehensive programme’ of grants and exemptions to help local businesses get ready for the CAZ and to help upgrade some non-compliant vehicles, says the local council. 

While car drivers will avoid charges,  Bradford Council intends to launch a ‘No Idling’ campaign to cut down on air pollution in the district. It would target motorists who keep their engine running, and keep spewing out fumes from their vehicles, while parked.

A joint CAZ C for Greater Manchester would cover all or parts of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan and the cities of Manchester and Salford to cut air pollution in those areas

A joint CAZ C for Greater Manchester would cover all or parts of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan and the cities of Manchester and Salford to cut air pollution in those areas

MANCHESTER – Due 30 May 2022

What is it: Clean Air Zone for Greater Manchester, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan

When is it going to be introduced: 30 May 2022

Emission tax type: CAZ C

Vehicles charged: Buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs, HGVs and LGVs

Cost to car drivers: Zero

As part of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan, a joint charging clean air zone has been proposed to cover all or parts of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan and the cities of Manchester and Salford to cover most of the whole of Greater Manchester.  

The zone would not affect private cars.

It’s set to be introduced on 30 May 2022, with city officials saying it will need to be in place in order for the area to meet air pollution reduction targets by 2024.

In order to help encourage commercial drivers to switch to cleaner vehicles before the zone comes into force, local leaders are asking for a multi-million-pound package – including £8million for businesses impacted by the economic impacts of the daily charges – to support those affected. 

This is the proposed boundary for a clean air zone covering Newcastle's city centre

This is the proposed boundary for a clean air zone covering Newcastle’s city centre

NEWCASTLE – Due July 2022

What is it: Clean Air Zone in Newcastle city centre but also Gateshead and North Tyneside – but not charge car drivers

When is it going to be introduced: July 2022

Emission tax type: CAZ C

Vehicles charged:  Buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs, HGVs and LGVs

Cost to motorists with non-compliant cars:  Zero 

A legal case regarding the installation of ANPR cameras needed for a CAZ to function prevented Newcastle from introducing its zone in January 2021, with delays pushing back plans for the scheme to go live to later this year. 

This has again been delayed, with the proposed start date now July 2022. 

Proposals are for a scheme where older buses, coaches, and lorries would face £50 daily tolls while vans and taxis  that don’t meet the emissions standard required would be charged £12.50 each time they enter the zone’s boundaries.

Private cars will be exempt from the charge.  

Bristol will be the second city after Birmingham to begin charging drivers of older cars to enter a clean air zone

Bristol will be the second city after Birmingham to begin charging drivers of older cars to enter a clean air zone

BRISTOL – Due summer 2022

What is it: Clean Air Zone charging drivers of older passenger cars who travel in the zone

When is it going to be introduced: Summer 2022

Emission tax type: CAZ D

Vehicles charged:  Buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs, HGVs LGVs and car drivers

Cost to car drivers:  £9 daily charge if a diesel car isn’t Euro 6 or petrol isn’t at least Euro 4

Motorists using any of the roads marked in the blue area of this map of Bristol driving a CAZ non-compliant passenger car will be charged £9 a day

Motorists using any of the roads marked in the blue area of this map of Bristol driving a CAZ non-compliant passenger car will be charged £9 a day

Bristol’s Clean Air Zone follows a similar pattern to other big cities: a predefined zone limit in the city centre; a 24-hour charging period that’s operational seven days a week, 365 days a year; and only the latest and cleanest passenger cars are exempt from the charge. 

No vehicles are banned from entering Bristol’s Clean Air Zone, but drivers of diesels cars failing to meet Euro 6 standards and petrols not adhering to at least Euro 4 will have to pay £9 each time they enter the boundaries.

Bristol City Council estimates that over 71 per cent of vehicles travelling in and out of the zone on a daily basis are compliant with the restrictions. Drivers who live within the limits of the CAZ will have to pay up each time they make a journey in their non-compliant vehicle.

There’ll be exemptions only for those who earn less than £24,000 a year, and no more than £12.45 per hour – but they will only be able to apply for one year’s exemption. Hospital visitors will also escape the charge.

Other larger vehicle – including HGVs, buses and coaches – will be charged £100 for each day they enter the zone.

If a vehicle has to travel into the CAZ because of an official diversion from a road outside the zone, for example the M5, the vehicle will not be charged, the council says.

Following a series of delays in submitting its plans to central government, Bristol City Council was ordered to have its system for charging polluting vehicles in place by October 29 this year.  

However, the council announced on 2 July 2021 that the CAZ will not launch until the summer of 2022 – some nine months later than originally planned.

Sheffield City Council is shortly expected to announce plans for a CAZ C zone for 'late 2022', with it covering the inner ring road and the city centre, including Park Square and the A61/Parkway junction

Sheffield City Council is shortly expected to announce plans for a CAZ C zone for ‘late 2022’, with it covering the inner ring road and the city centre, including Park Square and the A61/Parkway junction

SHEFFIELD – Due late 2022

What is it: An inner-city Clean Air Zone targeted at the dirties vehicles – but not cars

When is it going to be introduced: Proposed for late 2022

Emission tax type: CAZ C

Vehicles charged: Buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs, HGVs and LGVs

Cost to car drivers: Zero

Sheffield City Council had originally proposed a Clean Air Zone for the city centre in 2018, with plans for it to be introduced and enforced from 2020.

However, the impact of Covid-19 on traffic levels saw vehicle use drop and decision makers delay the plans.

The city council is shortly expected to announce plans for it come in ‘late 2022’, with the zone covering the inner ring road and the city centre, including Park Square and the A61/Parkway junction. 

The intention is for a CAZ C zone, which means taxis and LGVs that do not meet the emission standards required will be charged £10 a day and coaches, buses and HGVs will be charged £50 to drive within the zone.

Private cars will not pay because they only contribute to 50 per cent of the inner city pollution despite making up 80 per cent of the traffic, the council said.

LIVERPOOL – Due 2022/2023

What is it: A proposed Clean Air Zone with not clear plans yet in place

When is it going to be introduced: Proposed for financial year 2022-23

Emission tax type: CAZ (unconfirmed class) 

Vehicles charged:  Unconfirmed

Cost to car drivers:  Unconfirmed

Currently, Liverpool Council is preparing to launch a public consultation on the creation of a Clean Air Zone to improve air quality in the city – and in its latest report claims it is ‘highly likely’ it will be a charging zone for vehicles entering the city centre that fail to meet emissions standards – likely Euro 6 for diesel and Euro 4 for petrol, as is the case for most inner-city pollution taxes on motorists. 

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