Congestion Zone charges

[Caz]

FWIW, I suspect that the OP mistitled this thread. From the opening post:

​

AFAICT, the only congestion charge zones in UK are London and Durham (although Edinburgh and Glasgow proposed and then abandoned congestion charging). However, several cities have so-called Clean Air Zones (CAZ) that includes London (ULEZ and LEZ), Aberdeen, Bristol, Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Tyneside, Glasgow with others (e.g. Edinburgh and Dundee) due to become active next year. As Portsmouth doesn't have congestion charging, it seems reasonable to infer that @Caz actually meant er.. CAZ!

@Caz : I wonder whether you're looking at heavier (i.e. over 3.5 tonnes) vans? As noted upthread, the Euro 6 standard applies only to vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and heavier vehicles comply (or don't) to Euro VI, which is a different standard. That said, there's plenty of anecdotal stuff on the 'net suggesting that many vehicles that comply with the required emissions limit aren't registered as exempt from the charges; either because an earlier standard was recorded on the V5C etc. or some other error. In those cases, it may be possible to obtain a copy of the vehicle's Certificate of Conformity to use to gain exemption. As my van's way too old to be exempt, I haven't followed this up -- but there's plenty of info on YouTube etc.

OK I admit it, I mistitled it, I meant Congestion Zones AND Clean Air Zones.

Not looking at over 3.5 tonnes. I have discovered that not all manufacturers released their Euro 6 version in 2016, some were 2017, so have answered my own question by researching more. But thanks everyone for an interesting discussion.

 

[peter palance]

Need advice from all you knowledgeable folk on here.

Sold my van yesterday so am furtling around looking for my next one. I thought that all diesels post 2015 were exempted from congestion charges but have just checked a couple of possibles on 2016 plates and they are both coming up as chargeable everywhere except Portsmouth.

So how new do they have to be?

why do we pay road tax, dose that mean ,if you are in those zones you dont have to pay road tax? oh yes you do but and i say but.
should they not have sign saying no entry or you will be find. then they dont get your money, and its money they are after, were are we going. ok.pj. oh daft

 

[Okta]

why do we pay road tax, dose that mean ,if you are in those zones you dont have to pay road tax? oh yes you do but and i say but.
should they not have sign saying no entry or you will be find. then they dont get your money, and its money they are after, were are we going. ok.pj. oh daft

Some say it is your money they are after and others say it is to stop people driving polluting vehicles in urban areas that have pollution problems. They have signs saying you are entering the zones, most people who have a vehicle that would be charged avoid the zones. Congestion zones are different and most vehicles have to pay and most of us stay well clear of them.

 

[n brown]

A FOI request tells us that ULEZ generated £224,633,003 in 2022, an average of £18.7m a month. Money came in through two streams: daily charges and PCNs. Any vehicle driven within the zone must meet ULEZ emission standards, or pay a £12.50 daily charge.2 days ago

 

[Robmac]

Some say it is your money they are after and others say it is to stop people driving polluting vehicles in urban areas that have pollution problems. They have signs saying you are entering the zones, most people who have a vehicle that would be charged avoid the zones. Congestion zones are different and most vehicles have to pay and most of us stay well clear of them.

I think what it boils down to is that it's fine to pollute as long as we make money out of it.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Shall we start our own CAZ?

 

[GeoffL]

A FOI request tells us that ULEZ generated £224,633,003 in 2022, an average of £18.7m a month. Money came in through two streams: daily charges and PCNs. Any vehicle driven within the zone must meet ULEZ emission standards, or pay a £12.50 daily charge.2 days ago

If only. FWIW, the daily charge for my van should I stray into either the LEZ or ULEZ is £300 -- not £12.50!

 

[saxonborg]

Because places like Glasgow launch a Clean Air Zone to improve air quality (allegedly) yet still permit the installation of wood stoves in the area, knowing full well that chimney emissions at anywhere between 200 and 750 times those of an HGV will occur; and that there are additional hazards for the house occupants because of the carcinogens when the stove is opened

Steve

But how many people could be bothered to install and run a woodburning stove? Also if a stove is already burning air is being pulled into it so the amount of gases that are released when you open the door to recharge are minimal. My CO detector is about 5ft from my stove and it’s never gone off.

 

[marchie]

But how many people could be bothered to install and run a woodburning stove? Also if a stove is already burning air is being pulled into it so the amount of gases that are released when you open the door to recharge are minimal. My CO detector is about 5ft from my stove and it’s never gone off.

It's the carcinogens that are released into the room, Eric, every time you open the door, rake the ash bed, refuel, and [heaven forfend], stick your head half way into the stove when the bloody thing will not burst into life, so you blow the contents of your lungs onto the embers to introduce extra oxygen [not that I ever did that of course ...]

Woodstoves produce between 200 & 400 times the HGV pollution, so it cannot be minimal.

Steve

 

[Pudsey Bear]

But how many people could be bothered to install and run a woodburning stove? Also if a stove is already burning air is being pulled into it so the amount of gases that are released when you open the door to recharge are minimal. My CO detector is about 5ft from my stove and it’s never gone off.

Its the smoke particles, not the gas, they are bigger than diesel particles.

 

[GeoffL]

Would you believe it. Glasgow LEZ came into force at the beginning of this month (June) and has resulted in an increase in four key pollution indicators compared with the month prior to its introduction.

Air pollution INCREASES in Glasgow Low Emission Zone since rules enforced

The controversial zone has been widely panned and it seems it may not even be having the desired impact

www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk

 

[andromeda]

A question from the totally ignorant on this topic. Are motorways that encircle a city or go through it free of charges or is that area dependent; for example the M25 around London?

 

[Robmac]

A question from the totally ignorant on this topic. Are motorways that encircle a city or go through it free of charges or is that area dependent; for example the M25 around London?

The M25 is not within the congestion/LEZ/ULEZ zones. The only charges are for crossing the Thames at Dartford.

 

[GeoffL]

A question from the totally ignorant on this topic. Are motorways that encircle a city or go through it free of charges or is that area dependent; for example the M25 around London?

When clean air zones were first mooted there was an (at least implied) promise that no ring roads or motorways would be included and major through roads would be exempt where no ring road was available. However, we now have examples where that promise has been broken. For example, the boundary of Bradford's CAZ is the outer edge of the city's ring road, Bath have included the A-roads passing through the city, and the Welsh are proposing to include part of the M4 at Newport.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

If the "fine" was equal to the cost of going around it might be at least reasonable but in Bradfords case, they have only moved the paying traffic onto the side streets where poorer or ethnic families tend to live with young children playing around parked cars.

 

[gasgas]

Its high time folk fought back about this cr-p over there, if they tried it here there would be riots, i kid you not.

Quite right, and over there, they have the sense to issue a tax disc for your (vehicle - not your personal ) emissions, which covers the whole country. Over here it is left to empire building mayors who sieze their chance to increase their income by building up the number of staff they employ. I read that Brizzle collects £250,000 a day in fines.

 

[gasgas]

The not true bit is that a 2015 euro 5 would be allowed in.
I checked my over 30 year old 2cv on the Glasgow checker and despite it being exempt it came up as not permitted. I forsee lots of problems next week.

Stick some French number plates on it and they'll never find you.
Zut Alors Up wees zees ve vill not put.

 

[TonyEmm]

Need advice from all you knowledgeable folk on here.

Sold my van yesterday so am furtling around looking for my next one. I thought that all diesels post 2015 were exempted from congestion charges but have just checked a couple of possibles on 2016 plates and they are both coming up as chargeable everywhere except Portsmouth.

So how new do they have to be?

There is no simple answer to that!
There are 4 different types of emissions zones, A,B,C,D. (NOTE:London is different and you would need to check the TFL website)

I’ve just got back from Portsmouth (a ZONE B area). My Vivaro van which is a ‘62 plate would be exempt there, but nowhere else..´ My Rapido MoHo (09 reg) would have been £50 per day! (More everywhere else).
My highly polluting tractor 1957 vintage, would be exempt!! Don’t assume anything where CAZ’s are concerned!
check your vehicle: https://www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones
About clean air zones:

Clean air zones

Where you’ll find clean air zones, how to check if you’ll need to pay a charge and create a business account, and what support or exemptions are available.

www.gov.uk

 

[wildebus]

OK I admit it, I mistitled it, I meant Congestion Zones AND Clean Air Zones.

Not looking at over 3.5 tonnes. I have discovered that not all manufacturers released their Euro 6 version in 2016, some were 2017, so have answered my own question by researching more. But thanks everyone for an interesting discussion.

This may be of interest to those who are running older motorhomes that are not Euro 6 exempt from these "clean air zones"....

This is a table I made for a typical Diesel engined Motorhome from 2007 and shows the cost for both over and under 3.5t Motor Caravans.

LEZ-MH by David, on Flickr

 

[Pudsey Bear]

This may be of interest to those who are running older motorhomes that are not Euro 6 exempt from these "clean air zones"....

This is a table I made for a typical Diesel engined Motorhome from 2007 and shows the cost for both over and under 3.5t Motor Caravans.

LEZ-MH by David, on Flickr

Clicking zone boundary isn't working from my phone David.