What are Clean Air Zones?

 A Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is a section of a city where the local government has implemented policies to improve the air quality.

 At first, it was believed that the Clean Air Zones would only apply to buses, taxis, and heavy-duty vehicles (HGVs). However, this was expanded to cover private vehicles too, which means non-commercial drivers may also be impacted.

 The government's larger Air Quality Plan, which intends to improve air quality and urgently address sources of pollution, includes the development of Clean Air Zones in major UK cities.

 Drivers must pay a fee to enter a charging zone if their car does not adhere to the zone's environmental requirements. The current standards are based on the Euro emissions standard for automobiles.

 The four CAZ classes are A, B, C, and D. Even though some cars are exempt, the emissions standards largely correspond to those of London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

 However, they are governed by a national Clean Air Zone framework, which was outlined by the UK government in February 2020. The specific class into which each CAZ falls is decided by the local authority.

 You can find out if you need to pay a charge for a clean air zone by using the government website. 

Why did CAZ happen?

Following criticism from environmental groups, the Supreme Court ordered government ministers to deliver steps intended to address the levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air.

 According to a Public Health England (PHE) research from 2019, exposure to poor air quality over an extended period is thought to be the cause of between 28,000 and 36,000 fatalities each year in the UK.

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