How much Bradford's Clean Air Zone has made since launching

A Freedom of Information request by the T&A showed Bradford Council has received more than £5,549,780.30 in payments so far.

The large sum - paid by drivers entering the zone with non-compliant vehicles - was amassed between September 2022 to March 31, 2024.

Of this amount, £1,148,484 will be paid back to Central Government to cover the cost of its services associated with the CAZ.

In the same period, the total payments received from Penalty Charge Notices associated with Bradford’s CAZ has reached £6,132,570.

But a large number of vehicles have been caught entering the zone and still haven’t paid up for fines or multiple Penalty Charge Notices.

A whopping 204, 726 motorists were clocked driving through the CAZ without paying the Clean Air Zone charge.

The figure includes vehicles that have been captured a number of times and received multiple Penalty Charge Notices.

Councillor Debbie Davies (Conservative, Baildon) previously expressed her concerns about the accuracy of the CAZ system. 

Responding to the latest figures, the deputy leader of the Conservative group in Bradford said: “I am shocked that the amount in penalty charge income continues to be substantially higher than that from non-compliant vehicles entering the zone. 

“More clearly needs to be done to make drivers aware there is a charge to pay and I suspect those that get caught out are probably not local and haven’t thought to check before travelling to Bradford.”

A sign warning drivers that they are entering the Clean Air Zone in Bradford (Image: Mike Simmonds)

A spokesperson for Bradford Council said the CAZ has “significantly reduced air pollution” with automatic monitoring stations recording the lowest level ever of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the zone’s area.

Throughout the zone, NO2 has fallen to levels lower than those recorded during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020, when traffic levels reduced by 50%.

NO2 is linked to increases in mortality and hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses - one of the key reasons for the CAZ being introduced in Bradford.

Bradford Council said there has been big reductions in non-compliant vehicles driving in the zone and that Bradford businesses and residents had been upgrading to cleaner, less polluting vehicles.

When the T&A asked if the CAZ had made a positive impact on people’s health, a council spokesperson said: “Early indications suggest reduction in asthma attendances at A&E,  the Council is working with health researchers at Born In Bradford to quantify the scale of the health improvement Bradford has gained from the zone.

"Born In Bradford are working on analysis of the CAZ impact for low birth weight, and cardiovascular and respiratory health which will be published later in the summer.”

Money from the CAZ can only be reinvested into schemes and measures which improve air quality.

When asked for examples of recent investment, the Council said its £1.1million Clean Air Schools Programme has now started. 

It targets parents and carers idling outside the gates with uniformed wardens who target drivers at school drop off and pick up times.

An engagement programme will see school pupils learn about air pollution with handheld analysers.

A total of 48 Bradford schools have been awarded grants worth more than £440,000 to improve air quality at their schools. 

Projects include walking buses, bikes, scooters and shelters, classroom air filtration systems and green screens - using planting to protect play areas.

Bradford’s licenced taxis are the cleanest fleet in the UK, the Council claimed, with Government funding and CAZ revenue being used towards grants.

The grants are designed to help taxi drivers go fully electric.

When the T&A spoke to TikToker and taxi driver, Yasar Aziz, known by many as Disco Dave, last December, he said more needed to be done to help taxi drivers afford the initial costs of electric or hybrid cars.

Yasar Aziz, pictured (Image: UGC)

After the CAZ started he was paying £7 a day to drive his Skoda into the zone.

To tackle the expense, he decided to sell his car and hire a hybrid.

Yasar said: “If they could give me the funding I could buy one but you have to already have a car.

“The condition is you already have to be driving a hybrid.”

The Council said it had received 873 applications for the EV taxi grants and paid out 103 grants.

A further 439 applications are in various stages of process.

The Council has also set up a Heavy Goods Vehicle electric trial with building materials supplier Joseph Parrs on Manchester Road.

When will Bradford's Clean Air Zone be lifted?

Bradford Council has previously said the Government would lift the order once Bradford’s air quality had returned to legal levels, and that Government officials were convinced they would stay at those legal levels.

At the end of last year, the local authority suggested the CAZ could be lifted by the end of 2026.

The Government order placed on the District to improve air quality can be lifted two years after Bradford has proved it has reached legal levels - and the Authority’s Director of Air Quality Programmes Andrew Whittles believes the District will reach that level in 2024.