Sheffield’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) went live at midnight last night [27 February], meaning older and polluting cars that are non-compliant with CAZ standards will now face charges when they drive into the zone.
The council has said that only the most polluting vehicles are the target of the scheme, with the charging period each day running from 12am to 11:59pm.
The fees include £10 per day for vans/LGVs and taxis and £50 per day for coaches, buses and lorries or HGVs.
Mazher Iqbal, councillor and co-chair of the transport regeneration climate policy committee, said: “We’ve been battling with the government to increase that financial support.
“We have 17,500 vehicles that need to make that transition. The government only gave us the finance for 2,500. It’s going to take those dirty polluting vehicles off our roads. And the more we do that, the better, the cleaner the air.”
The council hopes to rid the city of dirty commercial vehicles and reduce the number of deaths attributed to air pollution each year, but several regional businesses have opposed the CAZ’s introduction.
The CAZ encompasses the majority of the city centre and includes the ring road and some parts of the Sheffield Parkway (A57).
The Sheffield zone is a Class C CAZ. This means charges apply to vehicles that do not meet the minimum emission standards set by the UK government. These are:
- taxis, including both Hackney Carriages and private hire vehicles, that do not meet Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol standards
- light goods vehicles (LGVS) such as vans, campervans and pickup trucks and minibuses that do not meet Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol standards
- buses and coaches that do not meet Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol standards
- heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) that do not meet Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol standards.
Vehicle owners can check if their vehicle meets Sheffield’s CAZ standards using the government vehicle checker.
Financial support to upgrade or replace a vehicle to ensure compliance with the CAZ is still available for vehicle owners based in Sheffield and Rotherham. The money is available through a scheme offering a grant, an interest subsidised loan or a combination of the two.
