Latest clean air zone approved as initiative gathers nationwide momentum

Euro 4 and 6 vehicles in Birmingham will be affected and face the new charge or potential fine

Latest clean air zone approved as initiative gathers nationwide momentum
Image: Bigstock.

A new clean air zone has been approved in Birmingham which will come into force in the city centre in 2020.

The zone has been greenlit by the government and approved by Birmingham City Council.

Petrol and diesel cars which fail to meet the Euro 4 and Euro 6 emissions standards respectively will be charged a daily fee.

This zone is similar to the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) being introduced in London that will charge motorists that don’t meet the emissions standard £12.50 to use.

The same restriction will apply to taxis, vans, and HGVs when the one comes into force in 2020.

Commercial vehicles exempt for a year

To help ease a transition into using the zone, commercial vehicles registered to companies within the clean air zone (CAZ) will be exempt from charges for 12 months.

Motorists who live inside the zone will get an exemption for two years and those who work in the city centre will not need to pay the charge for a year.

Councillor Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “We clearly have a major public health crisis in our city, with people being exposed to illegal and unsafe levels of air pollution.

“The introduction of a clean air zone is the start of our fight back.

“I welcome this announcement from the government, which gives approval to the plans we have put forward to bring air pollution levels down to legal limits.

“We feel that we will have sufficient resources to get the balance right between introducing a very much needed clean air zone and supporting the communities and businesses potentially affected by these measures.”

Fund to support Taxi drivers

A £15 million fund is also being introduced to help taxi drivers in the city transition to using cleaner vehicles.

The ULEZ comes into force in April 2019.

It will initially cover the Congestion Charge Zone in London before being expanded to the North and South Circular.

Cars affected will be Euro 4 petrols and Euro 6 diesels, much like the Birmingham CAZ.

Euro 4 cars are those made before 2006 while Euro 6 are manufactured before 2015.

Motorists that fail to pay the charge can be handed a £160 fine, which will be halved to £80 if paid within a certain time frame.

What do you think of clean air zones? Do garages and the wider aftermarket need more support to transition to such schemes? Let us know in the comments below.

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