Leeds City Council has confirmed that the city’s clean air charging zone (CAZ) will go live on 28 September this year.
Buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), taxis and private hire vehicles that fail to meet minimum emissions standards will be charged for driving within the zone’s boundary.
The CAZ will combine a central government vehicle checker with a network of more than a hundred cameras to identify non-compliant vehicles driving within the zone.
Each camera will use automatic number plate recognition technology and will be active 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. Cameras will only be used to enforce the zone.
Leeds City Council said it has secured £6.3m of government funding to cover the costs of these cameras and other infrastructure required for the operation of the zone.
The CAZ comes after the UK government directed Leeds City Council to tackle air pollution in Leeds after finding that parts of the city would likely exceed legal air quality limits.
Since plans for a CAZ were announced, Leeds City Council has claimed that the annual trend for air pollution has fallen below legal limits on the A660 as a result of lower emission bus services being introduced on the route.
Ahead of the zone’s introduction, the council said it has so far awarded £5.4m in financial support to help local businesses switch to cleaner vehicles and an additional £3.1m has been provisionally approved.
Licensing data reportedly shows that taxi and private hire operators have introduced more than 1,200 low-emission hybrid-, electric- and LPG-powered vehicles since the zone was confirmed.
Additionally, the council said it has helped operators of HGVs, buses and coaches to upgrade or retrofit more than 253 vehicles.
Furthermore, the council continues to grow its EV fleet – currently the largest of any local authority in the country – to 266 vehicles.
An online vehicle checker – launched last month by central government – is available for individuals to check whether they will be affected by the Leeds Clean Air Charging Zone or other similar zones in the country.
Cllr James Lewis, executive member with responsibility for air quality, said: “Having been forced to delay the introduction of the zone last year due to delays to government systems, I am delighted that we are now able to confirm a go-live date for the Leeds clean air charging zone giving affected businesses clarity to help them prepare for the zone’s introduction.
“We’re already seeing improvements to our city’s air quality thanks to the thousands of drivers that have already switched to less-polluting vehicles.
“As more businesses switch to cleaner vehicles to avoid charges we will no doubt continue to deliver even more improvements.
“With six months before the zone takes effect, it is now time for businesses to prepare.”
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