Drivers warned they face £8-a-day charge as new ‘congestion charge’ exemption ends in weeks
DRIVERS have been warned they face £8-a-day charge as the new ‘congestion charge’ exemption ends in weeks.
More than 2,000 owners of older cars and vans who live inside Birmingham Clean Air Zone would have to pay £8 every time they drive their car.
It means that anyone whose vehicle doesn’t comply with pollution-busting limits will have to pay £8 every day they drive their car in or out of the zone.
And this includes disabled motorists who hold Blue Badges to help them stay mobile.
Exemptions that were put in place to enable drivers time to upgrade their older vehicles or convert to alternate modes of transportation expire on May 31, the Birmingham Mail reports.
And those who drive to work inside the Zone have already seen their one-year exception end.
The council confirmed that 2,282 residents currently have temporary exemption permits.
A spokesperson from the council said: “Upon the introduction of the Clean Air Zone, residents were able to apply for a temporary exemption of up to two years from the date of launch.
“The purpose of these exemptions, along with the financial support packages available, was to provide additional time and financial assistance to adjust to the Clean Air Zone.
“As of January 2023, 2,282 people are using a temporary exemption permit, which will expire on May 31st 2023. A “significant number of people have changed their behaviours due to its introduction, helping to improve air quality in the city.”
Data on the Brumbreathes website dedicated to the Clean Air Zone shows the number of non-compliant vehicles entering the Zone daily dropped from over 11,000 in the first full month of July 2022 to around 6,400 in January 2023.
And the Brumbreathes website also shows that the number of Penalty Notices issued to drivers has fallen from 112,272 in July 2021 to 49,921 in December 2022.
However, an interim report carried out by the council found that levels of Nitrogen Oxide had dropped by 13% within the zone when compared to rates in 2019.