Clean Air Zone exemption ends for Birmingham residents

Birmingham residents are set to lose their Clean Air Zone (CAZ) exemption from paying charges from today (June 1).

People will now have to pay the £8 charge if their vehicle is not compliant with emission standards within the zone near the A4540 Middleway.

Birmingham City Council told TheBusinessDesk.com that there are 2,382 active exemptions in place as a “significant number” of people have already upgraded or replaced their vehicle, or no longer require the exemption.

Within the two years that the CAZ has been in place, more than 3,700 residents have benefited from the temporary exemption.

It also said: “Since the launch of the Clean Air Zone, the percentage of chargeable vehicles entering the zone has more than halved from 15.2% to 6.6% in March 2023, which means a significant number of people have changed their behaviours as a result of its introduction, helping to improve air quality in the city”.

Petrol cars manufactured after 2006 and diesel cars manufactured after 2015 are usually compliant with the CAZ and owners won’t be charged.