October 20, 2021
Abby Nuttall
Electric and Hybrid News
Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone:
Greater Manchester have become the latest county to confirm a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) as part of their Clean Air Plan.
The ten local authorities within the county have now approved the Clean Air Plan which includes a category C CAZ.
Category C means that there will be restrictions placed on:
- Buses
- Coaches
- Taxis
- Private hire vehicles
- HGVs
- Vans (LGVs)
- Minibuses
These restrictions will be based on the emission levels of the vehicles.
Image sourced: https://cleanairgm.com/clean-air-plans
For an interactive version of the map just click here.
The CAZ will be introduced in two phases to try and create a smoother transition period. On the 30th of May 2022 it will be applied to HGVs, buses, and hackney carriages and private hire vehicles that are not licensed in the Greater Manchester area. Then at a later date this will be extended to LGVs, minibuses, coaches and Greater Manchester licensed hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.
Any vehicle that does not meet the emission standards will have to pay a daily charge to travel in the area.
Currently, the CAZ is not planned to include private cars, motorbikes or mopeds.
Vehicle owners with non-compliant vehicles will be able to apply for grants and finance options to help with the cost of switching to compliant vehicles through the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan Financial Support Scheme.
This scheme is not yet live but will launch next month for HGVs and for all other vehicle types in January 2022.
To help vehicle owners a new vehicle and financial support checker will also be added to the cleanairgm.com website shortly.
Oxford Zero Emission Zone:
The first Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) pilot has been confirmed in Oxford for a little while now, however the city has announced that the date it is due to go live has been moved.
A ZEZ is an area where vehicles that produce any emissions will need to pay a charge to drive within it. They can help improve local air quality, encourage drivers in the area to switch to zero-emission vehicles, and the uptake of alternative transport including walking, cycling and public transport.
In Oxford the initial zone will be on a few key streets shown below:
Image Sourced: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/connecting-oxfordshire/oxford-zero-emission-zone#paragraph-6584
You can view an interactive version of this map here.
This will then be extended gradually to the rest of the city centre, and the time frame for this will be announced once the initial ZEZ is active.
A new launch date of February 2022 has been announced in order to avoid implementing the scheme in the run-up to Christmas when the city expects to receive more visitors from around the UK.
Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council have confirmed a new timeline for the pilot ZEZ following complications in developing and implementing the bespoke online support system that will help drivers understand the charges their vehicle will have and pay these as well as learn more about the zone in general.
The registration system that will allow drivers and vehicle owners to apply for exemptions and discounts will go live in December 2021. This will allow plenty of time for applications, and any complications or queries drivers might have to be fully resolved by the scheme’s set live date.
Though February has been confirmed for the new introduction month the exact date has not yet been released but is expected to be announced later this year.
The zone will be active 7 am to 7 pm seven days a week as soon as it is introduced.
Find out more about the zone area, charges, and important dates on the Oxfordshire County Council’s website.
What This Means for Your Fleet:
Low emission or zero emission zones can have a big impact on your fleet if you drive in areas they are being introduced.
Depending on the composition of your fleet and how large a percentage of them are petrol or diesel vehicles then your business could have numerous daily charges for driving into a city centre.
It’s now becoming an increasingly important part of fleet management and procurement strategies to check where CAZs are being planned and whether your drivers will need to enter these areas. If they do then you can look to speed up the electrification of those particular vehicles, alternative routes if their destination is not within the CAZ and other changes to reduce the impact on your business.