Taxi drivers’ concerns as Bristol City prepares for Clean Air Zone
- Nov 1, 2019
- 1 min read
Taxi and private hire vehicles in Bristol City, which are non-compliant with Clean Air Zone rules set to be approved by the council, will be charged £9 a day to work within the boundaries.
The council announced its plans for the CAZ this week and revealed that they are set to come into effect by 2021.
The controls are set to be introduced in 2021 following the same Government order Bath received to cut nitrogen dioxide to safe levels.
A diesel vehicle ban, which taxis and private hire vehicles will be exempt from, is also set to be introduced within a smaller zone at the centre of the city.
Bristol’s clean air zone would cover quite a large chunk of the city, including Cotham, Montpelier, St Philips Marsh, Southville, Bedminster and Ashton Gate.
Drivers of non-compliant vehicles would have to pay - £9 a day for taxis, private-hire taxis and vans, and £100 a day for buses, coaches and lorries.
Answering questions from those concerned about the effects the CAZ will have on the taxi and private hire industry, the council said: 'It is up to the operators to ensure their fleets are compliant with the CAZ or they will be charged. We will continue to work with operators to assist them with government funding for upgrades to help them reach compliance, and have already secured significant funding to assist them with upgrading their vehicles.'
Image: Source; Pixabay
