Clean Air Zone Sheffield: Protest hits Sheffield city centre over controversial clean air zone plan

Campaigners including taxi drivers and ordinary residents gave angry speeches near the Peace Gardens on Pinstone Street, before marching with placards across the city to the ring road.

It was organised by Facebook group Campaign against chargeable clean air zone Sheffield, one of several set up around the country by Matthew Betts and Susan Radford from Bradford, whIch has a CAZ.

Mr Betts told the rally the Government had said councils must clean the air – but it was down to the councils if they charged for the schemes.

Taxi drivers in the city have already presented a protest petition to the council, which agreed an automatic exemption for Hackney carriage taxis licensed with the city until June 5.

The council’s website says firms with light goods vehicles in Sheffield and Rotherham can apply for the same exemption.

Charges will apply to commercial vehicles that don’t meet minimum emissions standards. Number plate recognition cameras will monitor the charging zone.

Another protester, Tim Wells, raised concerns the scheme will eventually be rolled out to all cars. One speaker, from Kelham Island, said barriers put on the roads in this area would force people into the clean air zone whether they wanted to go there or not.

Concerns were also raised that no public transport improvements had been made to try to improve air quality. Scores took part in the march, setting off towards Fargate, handing out leaflets on the way.

Clean air zones are already in operation in Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Newcastle and Gateshead and one is under consideration in Greater Manchester, says the government’s YouGov website.

Group members say if drivers simply pay to pollute, the plan will not cut air pollution. Several noted that 30,000 drivers a month are refusing to pay CAZ charges in Birmingham, where the council is said to be too overwhelmed to collect all the money owed.

Mazher Iqbal, co-chairman of the council's transport committee, has previously said: "We empathise with those affected and acknowledge their concerns. The package we secured from government includes financial support to upgrade or replace vehicles to meet the Class C charging zone restrictions and the opportunity to apply for an exemption, if eligible."

"It is crucial that those who think they may be affected check whether their vehicle is compliant on the online vehicle checker. If it is, we urge them to get in contact and see if financial support is available to them to upgrade or replace their vehicle."