Bristol Clean Air Zone
When does the Bristol Clean Air Zone start?
Monday 28th November 2022.
What is the Bristol’s Clean Air Zone?
The Bristol clean air zone is a designated area within the central part of the city that requires a vehicle to meet a certain emission standard to drive within it. The zone is designed to improve the air quality within the city as part of a government initiative. No vehicle is banned from driving within the zone, but those vehicles that do not meet the emission standard will be required to pay a daily charge. Unlike a congestion zone charge, which charges all vehicles, the clean air zone only charges the most polluting vehicles.
Bristol’s Clean Air Zone Location
How much are the Bristol Clean Air Zone charges?
If your vehicle does not meet the clean air zone emission standard, you will have to pay a daily charge to drive into the zone.
Vehicle Type
- Private Car – £9 per day
- Taxis – £9 per day
- Vans – £9 per day
- Heavy goods vehicle – £100 per day
- Buses – £100 per day
- Coach – £100 per day
- Motorcycle – No charge
The zone operates 24 hours and day, 365 days a year. The charge is for a 24 hour period (midnight to midnight)
Clean Air Zone standards
Only vehicles that do not meet the emission standards will be charged.
- DIESEL: Euro 6 or better. Most new registrations after 1st September 2015.
- PETROL OR LPG: Euro 4. Most new registrations after 1st September 2006.
- GAS: Euro 6 or better.
- FULLY ELECTRIC: (or Hydrogen fuel cell)
- HYBRID ELECTRIC: Diesel Hybrid must be Euro 6. Petrol Hybrid must be at least Euro 4.
Checking your vehicle meets Bristol Clean Air Zone Standards
To check whether the vehicle meets the emission standard for the Bristol Clean Air Zone by using the government’s vehicle checker.
https://www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones
Are wheelchair accessible vehicles exempt from the Bristol Clean Air Charges?
Like any vehicle that enters the zone a wheelchair accessible vehicle needs to meet the Clean Air Zone minimum emission standard to avoid paying a daily charge, fortunately, according to the Bristol City Council Website National Clean Air Zone Exemptions section, all disabled tax class and disabled passenger tax class vehicles are exempt.
However, because you need to have a certificate of entitlement to qualify for disabled tax, not all wheelchair accessible vehicles will be registered disabled and therefore will be charged to enter the Clean Air Zone if they do not meet the Clean Air Zone Emission Standard.
How to apply for free disabled tax
If you do not qualify for free disabled tax and your wheelchair accessible vehicle does not meet the Clean Air Zone emission standard there are some exemptions available on the Bristol City Councils’ website that you may be able to apply for. I have listed a few below that might be relevant.
- Blue Badge Holder Longer Term Exemptions
- Resident Exemption
- Hospital Patient Exemption
- Hospital Visitor Exemption
For full list of Bristol Clean Air Zone Exemptions please follow the link below
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/streets-travel/bristol-caz/exemptions
One thing I have noticed is that many of the exemptions only apply until 31/03/2023 so who knows what will happen after that, hopefully, it will be a case of just reapplying.
A word of warning before you buy a WAV.
If you decide to check if a wheelchair access vehicle is exempt from the Clean Air Zone charge prior to purchase the easiest way to do so is by using the government vehicle checker website. But beware when you check a vehicle as it may come back saying. This vehicle is exempt from charges in all Clean Air Zones. The reason for this is that the vehicle is still recorded as Disabled tax class with the DVLA from the previous keeper. If, however you do not have a certificate of entitlement for free disabled tax then when the vehicle is transferred into your name the vehicles taxation class vehicle will change from Disabled to Diesel Car, Petrol Car or even PLG and therefore may not be exempt. I would always recommend checking the vehicle’s current taxation class to see if it is recorded as disabled. If it is recorded as disabled tax class, then I would recommend checking the vehicle’s Euro Emission rating manually to confirm that it meets the minimum Clean Air Zone standard.
Buying a Clean Air Zone Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle.
At Michael Harraway Car we stock a range of quality used wheelchair accessible vehicles that meet the current Bristol Clean Air Zone emission standard. We are based on the outskirts of Weston super Mare in the small village of Banwell. To view our current stock please visit www.michaelharrawaycars.co.uk or contact us on 01934 820077 to discuss your requirements.
