How much Bradford's Clean Air Zone has made for Council in 2022

A Freedom of Information request by the T&A showed the Council had received £943,443 in payments for CAZ charges (within the payment window).

Of this, £182,492 will be paid back to Central Government to cover the cost of its services associated with the CAZ.

The total payments received from Penalty Charge Notices associated with Bradford’s CAZ is £909,209.

There have been 29,020 Penalty Charge Notices issued since the launch of the CAZ. This is the number of vehicle journeys made that can be definitively determined as journeys that should have been paid for but haven’t.

It brings the Council's total amount of income from the CAZ to £1,670,160.

Clean Air Zone signage in Bradford (Image: Mike Simmonds)

Once the Government takes £2 for each paid journey, the Council can use the funds on schemes which contribute to improving air quality.

Anti-CAZ campaigners say the charges make Bradford “seem like an anti-driver city”.

But the Council argued the CAZ is vital for improving future generations’ health and will see the largest reduction in pollution at schools.

A spokesperson for the Council said: “The Bradford Clean Air Zone will improve health in the city and the largest reductions in pollution will be at schools, where children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution.

“The CAZ is expected to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by 35 per cent and CO2 by 147,000 tonnes. Up to one third of childhood asthma cases in the city are caused by traffic pollution – the Clean Air Zone will help address this.

“Revenue from CAZ charges is mandated to be reinvested in further programmes in the district to reduce harmful emissions, this is after Government central service takes £2 for each paid journey.

“Schemes may include support for zero emission buses, further help for residents and businesses to upgrade their vehicles, the development of low Carbon Hydrogen production facilities in the district and support for schools to reduce emissions in their areas. The Government does not allow the money to be spent on normal council services.

“Drivers may receive a £120 penalty charge plus the road user charge if the daily charge for a non-compliant vehicle has not been paid within the payment window. Payment can only be made using the Government website https://www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones or by calling the National Contact Centre on 0300 029 8888 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, and Saturday, 8am to 4pm).

“We encourage all drivers to check their vehicles and find out if they need to pay to drive in the Clean Air Zone. Drivers should pay the daily charge 6 days before, on the day of travel or by 11:59pm on the sixth day after driving in the Bradford CAZ.”

• Read more: Bradford Clean Air Zone: Vehicle charges and how to pay

Councillor Sally Birch (Conservative, Bingley Rural) said the Conservative Group opposes the way CAZ charges motorists.

Cllr Birch said: “The Conservative Group opposes the charging element of the CAZ. We fully support a desire for cleaner air for our residents and for visitors to our district.

“We do not believe enough exploration of other less costly options was carried out by the Council. “The charging structure of the CAZ, as seen from the stats you have provided, is a punitive tax on hard working people who, in many cases, have no idea they have entered a charging zone and then end up faced with a £120 penalty charge.”

Clean Air Zone signage reads: 'Bradford Clean Air Zone is now live check if you need to pay' (Image: Mike Simmonds)

She added: “Combined with an outright refusal to consider reducing local parking charges then the introduction of the CAZ charges this means that Bradford now seems like an anti-driver city.”

The group expressed fears that charges have a “negative effect” on small business owners who do not qualify for exemptions and if costs will eventually pass down to customers.

She shared claims that taxi drivers from outside of Bradford are either refusing to pick up customers or avoiding the CAZ by following rural routes.

Cllr Birch said: “Vehicles trying to avoid the CAZ can do so by taking certain routes around our rural district areas where the roads are much narrower and not suitable for large HGV’s - we fear the CAZ will simply re-direct vehicles to other routes still within the district. I have already heard from residents in our small villages expressing concern about increased traffic since the CAZ was introduced.”

Cllr Debbie Davies (Conservative, Baildon) said she has concerns about the accuracy of the CAZ system. 

Cllr Davies said: “I have concerns about the accuracy of the system as one resident contacted me with a valid exemption who had received a penalty charge notice and another received one because her vehicle was wrongly registered as a taxi; this causes people time and worry to appeal against these fines.

"Also; given it’s a new scheme and all the confusion in the run up to it being implemented (several changes of dates) it would have been far preferable and fairer for people to receive a warning letter before an immediate fine so they would have the chance to take measures to avoid charges in the future.

"I would be interested to know how many of the fines are the same vehicle entering the zone on numerous occasions as given the current dismal state of the postal service they could potentially have been issued several fines without being aware of the situation.

"Given the cost of living increases this is an additional expense people can ill afford and I remain sceptical about its effectiveness in reducing air pollution levels.”

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