Clean Air Zones have now been in place across various UK cities for a few years now, and 2023 is set to bring some new changes to the way in which they work and where they can be found. This is intended to further improve the air quality of those areas, and so all drivers need to be aware of the changes and whether they will be affected.
The new year means that new Clean Air Zones will be added, whilst others will be putting new, tighter restrictions in place that will affect a greater number of drivers. In this article we will explain what the Clean Air Zones are and what they could mean for you as a motorist on the UK roads.
What is a Clean Air Zone?
The first Clean Air Zone was set up in London to tackle the poor air quality that people in the city were experiencing and to help push towards government targets. Whilst they are designed to address all form of air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, they are most commonly associated with restrictions on traffic. The zone may not cover an entire city and could just be restricted to a small area or even a single street.
There are charging and non-charging Clean Air Zones, which both have different rules. In a charging Clean Air Zone, drivers are required to pay a fee in order to enter if their vehicle does not comply with the environmental standards for the area.
London now has its own Ultra Low Emission Zone, whilst Clean Air Zones can be found in Aberdeen, Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Dundee, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Portsmouth. Tyneside has already brought in a new Clean Air Zone at the very start of 2023.
The requirements for each one is different, so it is important to check whether you are affected before you travel. Some zones will impact on all classes of traffic, whilst others currently target just the biggest polluters, but make sure that you continue to check this, as different authorities may change this as time goes on.
Clean Air Zone Changes
Andrea Easton, Head of Finance and Operations at Walker Movements commented, “One of the biggest changes to the Clean Air Zones in 2023 will be the implementation of a new zone in Sheffield. This is a class C chargeable zone which means that the most polluting heavy goods vehicles, light goods vehicles, vans, buses, coaches, and taxis that drive within the inner ring road and city centre will be subject to fees.”
Car and van drivers in Glasgow will find that restrictions will be tightened later in the year, as all vehicles will now be required to meet the required standards or be liable for a £60 fine.
Some of the most recent cities to create Clean Air Zones have put an exemption period in place for residents who are caught within these areas, but these are likely to come to an end soon, meaning they will be required to upgrade their vehicles or start paying some substantial fees.
Whilst there are not many new Clean Air Zones coming into effect in 2023, it is likely that drivers across the UK will continue to be squeezed as restrictions in the existing zones get tighter and tighter. This is meant to make everyone think more carefully about what vehicles they drive and the impact they have on the environment and the quality of air in an area.
This means there will be more modern vehicles on the roads which will reduce the pollution that is being created, help to meet government air quality targets, and give us all healthier air to breathe.
Andrea Easton is the Head of Finance and Operations of Walker Movements, who are specialists in quality second-hand, used trucks and trailers and are global leaders in the trucking industry. Walker…
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