Bradford has launched its long-awaited Clean Air Zone, levying charges on the most polluting vehicles.

The Bradford Clean Air Zone has been designed around those areas where air pollution levels exceed the legal limit

The ‘Class C’ scheme introduces charges for non-compliant vans, minibuses, coaches and HGVs but does not apply to passenger cars and motorbikes.

The scheme has been introduced after the city was identified by the UK government as exceeding air pollution levels at several locations, many in inner-city areas.

The Bradford Clean Air Zone has been designed around those areas where air pollution levels exceed the legal limit, and the CAZ is expected to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by 35% and CO2 by 147,000 tonnes.

Bradford Council has already been working closely with local businesses and transport operators who, in advance of the CAZ launch, have upgraded to cleaner vehicles, supported by more than £30m of Government funding.

Thanks to these vehicle upgrades, chargeable non-compliant vehicles are predicted to account for 4% of all traffic. In total, it’s expected that an average of 140,000 vehicles per day will drive through the zone.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said: “Bradford is acting on a Government directive to implement a charging Clean Air Zone. We know that air pollution levels are too high and have damaging impacts on the health of too many of our residents. There’s no escaping that fact.

“After protracted negotiations with Government, the CAZ has been designed very carefully to exempt private cars, motorbikes, and local businesses, while having an immediate and material impact on the air we all breathe. What we have to stop is polluting commercial vehicles from outside the district using Bradford as a de facto motorway, coming through the district but not stopping to do business here.

“The Clean Air Zone will substantially reduce air pollution in Bradford and improve the health of residents, their families and our communities.”

Any revenue from the introduction of the Bradford CAZ will be reinvested in further programmes in the district to reduce harmful emissions – which could include support for zero-emission buses, further help for residents and businesses to upgrade their vehicles, the development of hydrogen in the district and support for schools to reduce emissions in their areas.

Full details of the Bradford CAZ are here.

Drivers can also check a vehicle or pay a charge on the Government CAZ site.

Anyone who is unsure if they need to pay or are entitled to grants or exemptions should call the Clean Air Zone team on 01274 435533, from Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 5pm and Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.