Bristol Clean Air Zone launch delayed until September

The city council estimates 71% of vehicles travelling into the city already meet the zone's emission standards

The launch date of the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Bristol has been pushed back three months to September, Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees has confirmed.

It comes as Bristol City Council launched their new vehicle checker, enabling motorists to see if their vehicle is exempt from the new charges.

Mr Rees said there were still areas to look at and the council was aware of challenges and expenses for businesses.

One company said it was struggling to source vehicles in time for the launch.

Richard Martin, from Gas Safe Bristol, said: "All of our vans go through that zone at least once or twice a week, it's not a charge that we can afford to do.

He said he has had to change his vans, "especially when prices of fuel, prices of everything skyrocketed".

He added his company had "ordered maybe five vehicles in the last six months and it's a five-month waiting list until they turn up".

Charge for vehicles outside emissions rules

• £9 a day for non-compliant cars, light goods vehicles under 3.5 tonnes, taxis and private hire vehicles

• £100 a day for non-compliant HGVs, buses and coaches

Mr Rees said the council was aware that the "pressing challenge on companies to get new vehicles is going to be impacted by restrictions in the vehicle markets at the moment and that is something we're going to be asking government to take on."

The council has secured £42m of government funding to provide grants and loans to help people upgrade vehicles to fall within the emissions criteria.

Mr Rees said this was to stop the CAZ having a detrimental impact on people on low incomes or businesses that had already struggled during the pandemic.