Bradford CAZ Goes Live
Bradford Clean Air Zone Launches
The Bradford CAZ is the latest clean air zone to come into force in the UK. Only a few years ago it was just London which operated charges for certain vehicles operating within specific areas, but other Cities have followed suit in recent years and Bradford’s came into force on Monday September the 26th. Congestion charges and emissions charges are common all across Europe and have been for many years, so it’s likely that they’ll continue to proliferate just like they have on the Continent.
If you live or work in Bradford though, you’ll likely want a little more information, so we’ve gathered some useful data and links for you.
The Manchester Clean Air Zone which was intended to be launched earlier this year has been put on hold, possibly temporarily, possibly not, but Bradford’s has proceeded as planned. If you’re driving a commercial vehicle that isn’t Euro 6 compliant, you’ll be charged daily for driving it within designated clean air zones in or around the City Centre. Van drivers are now charged £9 per day just to drive within the prescribed area covered by the CAZ. This new Clean Air Zone is enforced by a camera network with fines up to £120 on top of the CAZ charge if left unpaid. Naturally, our entire van hire fleet is Euro 6 compliant, so our customers have nothing to fear!
Given the number of penalty notices we already have to redirect on a daily basis for Dart Charges, London LEZ/Congestion Charge and Merseyflow etc, we know just how easy it is to get caught out, so this is likely to hit business users in the pocket. For the sake of balance it’s worth pointing out that the stated aim of the charge and the penalties isn’t to make money, but this is likely to come as no comfort at all to businesses whose drivers accidentally stray into an area or forget to pay on time.
Unhelpfully, not all clean air zones are created equal. Different cities vary their charges as well as the vehicles which are subject to being charged. Click the link below to input your registration plate into the government’s own charge checker which shows how much you’ll pay across all congestion charging zones currently in operation as well as those planned in the future.
Click to input your registration plate
For a complete list of charges for Bradford based on vehicle type, click the link below.
Click to check the current charges in Bradford
Bradford CAZ – Is Now The Best Time To Upgrade & Save?
There’s no denying that low air quality has a direct impact on people’s health and modern vehicles are now made to minimise harmful emissions because of this. Fully electric vehicles, even vans, completely eliminate such emissions too and as such don’t have to pay emissions charges. For businesses however, especially those who’ve already been impacted by innumerable factors beyond their control, the prospect of having to comply with yet another set of punitive rules, no matter how well intended is likely to make business owners fear for their cashflow. With numerous other existential threats which face businesses of all sizes right now, this will no doubt be another unwelcome expense.
Thankfully, the Bradford CAZ isn’t quite as far reaching as those seen in London. The London Congestion Charge and the Ultra Low Emissions Zone charge are two separate expenses and cover more or less the same area now. They combine to cost around £25 per day even for most car users. The price down there is also far higher still for commercial vehicles, with vans costing a fair amount and larger vehicles like lorries, buses etc charged eye-watering figures just to operate int he area.
If you’re operating commercial vehicles which were manufactured before September 2015, (when the Euro 6 standard was introduced), then you might want to investigate your options. It’s possible to get Euro 6 conversions for any older vehicles which don’t currently meet the Euro 6 standard, but given that even the newest pre Euro 6 vehicles will be six or seven years old now, you’re probably better off upgrading to a newer vehicle.
A new or newer vehicle, in addition to being younger in terms of years and miles, will also have all the latest driver aids. They’ll also cost less to run in terms of fuel as well as costing less in terms of maintenance. It’s worth pointing out that electric vehicles are exempt from every known or planned congestion or low emissions charge as well as being cheaper to run and more tax efficient than any other vehicle type.
If you were waiting for a push to upgrade your vehicle fleet then Bradford’s Clean Air Zone might just be the impetus you need. Whatever your vans are worth today, they’ll be worth less tomorrow and a lot less as time passes, so why not act now and beat the Bradford CAZ entirely?
Beat The Rush To Rental, Beat The Bradford Clean Air Zone!
If you’re currently driving a van that falls below the clean air zone requirements, then the time to act is now. The more clean air zones that get introduced, the greater the demand for Euro 6 compliant vehicles will get as well as demand for new van hire. Added to this, the prices you’ll get for your old vans are likely to drop as they become too expensive to run due to the new charges and there will be fewer places to drive them ‘for free’ as time passes.
When you can hire a brand new van from us, with prices starting from as little as £9.60 per day, why would you pay £9 per day just to drive your less efficient, less modern old one, which will cost you far more than that 60p difference int he long run? Also consider that if you’re buying from us we’ll give you a fair part exchange based on current market value, or if you’re hiring from us we’ll buy your old van off you, leaving you with extra cash in your business as well as a brand new van to drive away in.
Don’t let the Bradford Clean Air Zone charges hit you in the pocket, get the best price for your old van now, cut your costs and improve your image with Westwood!
