Clean Air Zone launches with two-week grace period

Birmingham's Clean Air Zone has launched, with drivers of the most polluting vehicles now facing a daily charge to drive into the city centre.

The launch on 1 June was marked with an eye-catching display at the Library of Birmingham, where smoke was released from the roof and viewing platform to represent the average amount of nitrogen oxides that the zone is expected to save every ten seconds.

A two-week grace period

The council is introducing the zone with a "soft launch". From 1 June until 11.59pm on 13 June, drivers will not have to pay and there will be no enforcement.

From 14 June, owners of vehicles that do not meet the emission standards will have to pay the daily charge unless they have an exemption. Anyone who does not pay will be sent a penalty charge notice.

The charges

The zone covers the area inside the A4540 Middleway ring road, but not the Middleway itself. Cars, taxis and vans that do not meet the standards will be charged £8 a day, and coaches, buses and lorries £50 a day.

The charge runs from midnight to midnight. Drivers can pay up to six days before their visit, on the day, or up to six days afterwards, giving a 13-day window. Payments can be made online through the government's payment system or by phone.

"This initiative will save lives"

Councillor Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment, said: "After more than two years of planning, I'm delighted to launch Birmingham's Clean Air Zone. This is a bold move that will help to address some significant health inequalities in our city."

"I'm confident that this initiative will save lives, and provide a cleaner, greener, safer space for our communities in a part of our city that has a problem with poor air quality."

He urged drivers to use the grace period to check their vehicles, get to know how to pay and look at the support available through the Brum Breathes website.

Help available

A range of support is available for those most affected, including temporary exemption permits and financial incentives, and a fund to help operators of heavy vehicles upgrade.

The council says the zone is not only about charging drivers. It is designed to encourage people to upgrade or replace the most polluting vehicles, and to think about walking, cycling or using public transport more, especially for short journeys.

A long journey

The zone has been years in the making. The council was ordered by the government to bring levels of nitrogen dioxide down to legal limits in the shortest possible time, and poor air quality has been estimated to contribute to up to 900 premature deaths a year in the city.

The government approved the plans in 2019. The zone was originally due to start in January 2020, but was delayed, first by problems with the government's online vehicle checker and then by the coronavirus pandemic.

Birmingham is one of the first cities outside London to introduce a charging clean air zone, and other cities will be watching closely to see how well it works.