Clean Air Zone: Readers let rip after Sheffield drivers cough up £5m in first two years
Two years after the Clean Air Zone was launched in Sheffield and it would be fair to say it continues to be unpopular with Star readers.
Sheffield Council said drivers had paid £1.4m in charges and £3.7m in fines - a total of £5.1m - since the scheme was launched at the end of February 2023.
It says some of the money has been spent on improving air quality around schools, including £1m on School Streets - which ban cars at opening and closing times - and 22 ‘20mph’ zones outside schools.
A further £1m has been spent on expanding the Modeshift Stars initiative up to March 2026.
It ‘encourages a change in travel behaviour by promoting active lifestyles to young people and their families through activity and classroom sessions’.
Investment has also gone into cycle and scooter storage at schools, on-street lockable cycle storage, the junior road safety officer initiative and additional Bikeability events, the authority says.
CAZ income is ringfenced, meaning it must be used for projects related to improving air quality and promoting sustainable transport, according to GOV.UK.
But on The Star’s Facebook page, many readers said they had failed to see the benefit.
Ryan Wade said: “Rake in £5m but the roads are still a state and council tax is up 4.99 per cent. Where do they spend this money they get because I can't see any improvements anywhere.”
Julie Conley said: “Disgraceful and all our roads are full of potholes what are they doing with this money?”
Phil Wilson was concerned about the impact on the city centre.
He said: “Eventually Sheffield city centre will be a ghost town as people won't be able to access it.”
Taxi driver John Owen is among those who avoid the CAZ, which charges older diesel vans and taxis £10-a-day to travel on, or within, the inner ring road. Older coaches, buses and lorries pay £50-a-day.
He said: “When I'm in Sheffield I have to drive miles round to get to the other side of the city, so in actual fact I'm creating more pollution than if I drove straight through the Clean Air Zone.
“I know this sounds madness but I point blank refuse to pay the £10 that the government controlled CAZ are asking to drive my taxi through the city centre.”
Mel Court took a swipe at several schemes.
“Makes you wonder what they spend the money on - oh, I know, roundabouts, nothing environmental, even though it's about clean air!
“Maybe we should be told what plans are in place to spend this £5m on in our great city, before it's made into a ghost town.”
Marcus Spedding was a lone voice with an alternative view.
He said: “More in fines than charges. Thanks for the drivers contributing.”
In July last year council chiefs said nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from traffic was down 16 per cent in the city centre and 21 per cent across the wider Sheffield district.
In October, the city council said NO2 had fallen “significantly” but some locations were still above legal limits and it was not able to consider decommissioning the CAZ.
It would also have to be confident air quality would not shoot back up if it were removed.
The council says it must also spend CAZ income on delivering, maintaining, enforcing, processing, administering - and decommissioning when the time comes - the scheme.