Non-Euro 6 trucks will be charged £50 a day to enter the Birmingham Clean Air Zone (CAZ), after  council leaders approved the latest proposals today (11 December).

The council had been considering charging non-compliant HGVs up to £100 a day to enter the zone, which covers all roads within the A4540 Middleway ring road, but has instead settled for the lower charge.

Under the proposals non-compliant trucks will be subject to one £50 charge a day, regardless of how many trips they make into the zone.

The final proposals also outline mitigation measures for hauliers that may be affected by the introduction of the CAZ, which is set for January 2020.

Hauliers registered within the CAZ will be entitled to a one year exemption for two non-compliant trucks.

Hauliers registered in the Birmingham area that have existing finance agreements on their fleet beyond 2020 and who travel into the CAZ will also be allowed an exemption on two trucks for the first year.

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Fleets operating in the West Midlands can also apply for an unspecified cash payment towards either a retrofit or towards the cost of a compliant vehicle.

The council is asking government for £68.7m to fund the scheme, of which £50.8m will cover the cost of mitigation measures. It has upped the amount it is demanding for mitigation measures from an original demand of for £36m.

Birmingham council’s transport councillor Waseem Zaffar said the council’s funding request is non-negotiable. Last month Leeds City council was asked to cut its £27m bid for mitigation funding for its CAZ by a third.

Zaffar added that the council “fully recognises that these proposals will impact on individuals and businesses across the city and the wider West Midlands area, so we are now calling on the Government to provide the funding needed to help us support these people”.

The plan will now be submitted for ministerial approval later this month.

See our Clean Air Zone page for more on the subject.

Image: Shutterstock

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