Clean Air Zone: Drivers fork out over £13m in fees and fines

Drivers have forked out £13,137,764 in fines since February 27 2023, the city council says.

The CAZ charges certain diesel vans and taxis £10-a-day to travel on, or within, the inner ring road. Some coaches, buses and lorries are charged £50-a-day.

The city council says air pollution - in the form of NO2 - has fallen “significantly” but some locations are still above legal limits and it is not considering decommissioning the CAZ.

It would also have to demonstrate air quality would not shoot back up if it were removed.

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The council says that while the CAZ is not a permanent measure it is hoped air quality improvements will be.

Earlier this year, it said it would spend £1m from CAZ income on improving air around schools. That includes 20mph restrictions at 22 locations, most of which have been implemented.

It will also be spent on cycle storage , extending the School Streets and Modeshift Stars initiatives up to March 2026 and more Bikeability events in the north of the city during holidays.

The council says it must also spend CAZ income on delivering, maintaining, enforcing, processing, administering and decommissioning - when the time comes.

In its first year, drivers forked out £2.4m in fees and double that in fines - £4.78m - to create a grand total of £7.18m.

Some 284,014 charges were issued and 65,733 penalties for non-payment were issued. They start at £70 but the amount jumps if unpaid.