Bristol traffic: Motorists face £9 charge to use clean air zone

Marvin Rees said a small area of the city would be covered by the new clean air zone

Motorists who drive the most polluting cars could be charged £9 per day to use a clean air zone (CAZ) in central Bristol.

Last week Bristol City Council outlined plans for the new zone that would be created to improve air quality.

Older private cars, taxis, minibuses and vans would also be charged £9.

The government says a plan must be put in place to improve the city's air quality.

Under "current estimates" Bristol City Council said lorries, buses and coaches would be charged £100 a day to use the CAZ.

The council has not yet announced all details of its final proposal, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The zone would cover the area in the heart of the city previously set aside for the council's proposed diesel ban

The city's mayor Marvin Rees made an announcement on Facebook on 13 January, outlining how part of Bristol city centre would become a "small CAZ D".

Under current plans, any diesel vehicles that do not meet Euro 6 emission standards would be charged. They are likely to have been registered before September 2015.

Petrol vehicles that do not conform to Euro 4 emission standards would also be charged. They are generally vehicles registered before 1 January 2006.

The zone would cover an area which was originally proposed for the authority's diesel ban, which was rejected by the government in 2019.

The council's current proposals would apply for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for non-compliant vehicles. They would only be charged once a day.

Mr Rees said the council has a "moral responsibility to deliver clean air in the shortest possible time".

The authority's business case will go to its cabinet in February ahead of it formally being submitted to government.