City’s Clean Air Zone scheme goes live
The Bradford Clean Air Zone is now live, which means there will be a daily charge to drive into the zone for vehicles not meeting the required emission standards.
Charges will not apply to compliant vehicles, passenger cars and motorbikes or those vehicles that have been awarded an exemption.
The Government is introducing Clean Air Zones in cities across England to improve air quality and the health of people who live and work there.
Bradford has been identified by the Government as exceeding air pollution levels at several locations across the city.
Bradford’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has been designed around those areas where air pollution levels exceed the legal limit. It is expected that an average of 140,000 vehicles per day will drive through the Bradford CAZ.
The CAZ is expected to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by 35% and CO2 by 147,000 tonnes.
Bradford Council says it has worked with local businesses and transport operators who, in advance of the CAZ launch, have upgraded to cleaner vehicles, thanks to over £30m of Government funding.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said: “Bradford is acting on a Government directive to implement a charging Clean Air Zone. We know that air pollution levels are too high and have damaging impacts on the health of too many of our residents. There’s no escaping that fact.
“After protracted negotiations with Government the CAZ has been designed very carefully to exempt private cars, motorbikes, and local businesses, while having an immediate and material impact on the air we all breathe.
“What we have to stop is polluting commercial vehicles from outside the district using Bradford as a de facto motorway, coming through the district but not stopping to do business here.
“The support from transport operators in the district has been incredible. 92% of taxis in Bradford are already compliant, along with over 370 buses meeting clean air zone standards.
“The Clean Air Zone will substantially reduce air pollution in Bradford and improve the health of residents, their families and our communities.”
Bradford Council says any revenue from the introduction of the CAZ will be reinvested in further programmes in the district to reduce harmful emissions.
