Portsmouth has gone live with a Clean Air Zone, introducing charges for non-compliant vehicles.
It’s the third CAZ scheme to launch in the UK outside of London, following the arrival of Clean Air Zones in Bath in March 2021 and Birmingham in June 2021.
The ‘Class B’ scheme in Portsmouth applies to buses, coaches, taxi, private hire vehicles and heavy goods vehicles that do not meet Euro 6 standards if diesel, or Euro 4 standard if petrol. Cars, vans and motorbikes are exempt from the scheme.
Non-compliant taxis and PHVs will be charged £10 per day to drive through the zone, and non-compliant buses, coaches and HGVs will pay £50 per day.
There are some specific vehicle exemptions, including for emergency service and military vehicles, as listed on the government website.
Councillor Dave Ashmore, Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Environment, said: “There are so many ways we can all make a difference to the air quality in our city. It might be using public transport more, ditching the second car and joining a car club, making your next vehicle electric, or walking, catching the bus or renting an e-scooter for your next short journey.
“As a council we’re working on creating the best possible conditions for these changes, from installing on-street electric car charging points and bicycle parking to extending the rental e-scooter trial and prioritising walking and cycling routes for residents.”
Other UK cities are planning to launch Clean Air Zones in 2022, including Bradford and Greater Manchester, while Bristol City Council has said it’s hopeful its scheme will launch late summer 2022.
