Sheffield Clean Air Zone raises more than £210,500 in first month

Sheffield's Clean Air Zone was introduced on 27 February but does not apply to private cars or motorbikes

Sheffield's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) generated just over £210,500 in charges and fines in its first month of operation, new figures have revealed.

Introduced on 27 February, it applies to taxis, lorries and vans not meeting emissions standards, but it does not apply to private cars or motorbikes.

About 15,000 journeys through the zone in March brought in £175,512, plus £35,060 in fines, the council said.

The money raised would be spent on projects to reduce emissions, it added.

Sheffield City Council said the CAZ scheme had been brought in following a legal directive from the government to bring nitrogen dioxide emissions in the city within legal limits in the shortest possible time.

Air pollution contributed to 500 deaths a year in Sheffield and could cause various health problems, it said.

Sheffield's CAZ runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in the city centre

The zone covers much of the city centre, including the ring road and parts of the A57 Sheffield Parkway.

Drivers of smaller vehicles which do not meet Euro pollution standards are charged £10 a day for entering the CAZ, while drivers of non-compliant buses, coaches, lorries and HGVs are charged £50 per day.

At the time the CAZ first went live at the end of February, many business owners said they feared the impact it might have on trade.

Frank Hayes, who owns Sheffield Motorcycle Centre, said since the zone's launch, footfall had "literally died".

Business costs had risen because staff were having to go and pick up motorbikes for servicing, Mr Hayes said.

"Customers who are self-employed and have their own vans they use for business...they don't want to bring their bikes down.

"They give us an option: either we come and collect it or they go somewhere else.

"The biggest issue we've got is that customers may have popped in with their vans for a look around, but that doesn't happen anymore," he added.

The Clean Air Zone boundary covers Sheffield city centre

Mr Hayes said while his business was not within the CAZ, the only way to access its car park was by using a chargeable road.

He said that as a result of the zone's impact on trade, he was now thinking of moving his premises out of the city.

All local light goods vehicles and hackney carriage taxis were exempted by Sheffield City Council from the charges until 5 June due to the cost of living crisis.

However, the council said once the exemption period ended, drivers would still need to have upgraded their vehicles or they would have to pay the CAZ charge.

Hafeas Reham, from Sheffield Taxi Trade Association, said members were worried about the impact that would have on trade and on customers.

"We have a full wheelchair accessible fleet. There are many people who rely on these taxis and children who rely on these taxis with the wheelchairs to get them to school," Mr Reham said.