Some £32m is to be made available for businesses to make sure their vehicles comply with Bristol’s Clean Air Zone, which will come into effect next summer, it emerged today.
The figure, which will cover HGVs, LGVs, taxis and private hire vehicles, forms the lion’s share of £42m the city council will receive from the government to introduce the zone. 
The council said the money would enable Bristol to meet clean air targets in 2023 and will be available to fund greener transport initiatives such as electric bike loans and free bus tickets as well as for businesses to upgrade to cleaner vehicles.
Some £2m will also go to helping businesses use more sustainable methods of transporting goods around the city as the council aims for most city centre deliveries to be made by zero-emission vehicles by 2031.
More than seven in 10 vehicles now entering the area that will become the Clean Air Zone would not be charged, according to the council.
The zone will include most of the city centre and stretch from Temple Meads to Hotwells and from Harbourside to Redcliff (see map below).
Owners of diesel vehicles straying into the area between 7am and 3pm will incur fines of £9 a day.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, pictured, said he was committed to reducing air pollution but was also adamant that he would minimise any disproportionate impact on businesses and citizens.
The zone was due to be introduced last month but has suffered a number of delays.
Mayor Rees said: “This is a real win for the city. We are introducing one of the most wide-ranging clean air zones in the UK which will see us not only reduce air pollution but also help people change how they travel, delivering a cleaner, greener and healthier city for years to come.
“We are tackling a climate emergency, but we also have people facing financial crisis. We can’t look at these two things in isolation. We have taken our time to find a way to clean up our air while not adding huge financial strain to people that live and work in our city.”
Bristol is one of a number of towns and cities mandated by the government to tackle air pollution.
While around 71% of vehicles in Bristol are already compliant, the council said the approved plan included significant measures to reduce pollution in the city and meet clean air targets by helping more individuals and businesses switch to cleaner ways of travelling.
These will include:
- £32m for businesses to upgrade HGVs, LGVs, taxis and private hire vehicles.
- £5.9m to help people switch to public transport and make more journeys by walking or cycling with free bus tickets, free electric bike loans and cycle training
- A £2m freight consolidation project will be set up to help businesses switch to greener ways of transporting goods and meet the council’s target of 95% of all city centre deliveries made by zero-emission vehicles within 10 years
- £2.1m has been allocated to help local bus and coach companies
- £1.8m in loans and grants will be available to help people on low incomes, or those traveling to work/study in the zone, who need to upgrade their vehicles to meet the zone’s emission standards.
A range of exemptions will be available to give eligible businesses and individuals time to prepare for the zone. All residents in the zone with a vehicle that doesn’t meet its emission standards can apply for an exemption giving them until the end of 2022 to upgrade their vehicle.
Exemptions will be available for groups including:
- People on low incomes travelling into the zone for work
- Patients and visitors to hospitals in the zone
- Blue Badge holders and people with a disabled tax class vehicle or disabled passenger tax class vehicle
- Community transport providers operating under a Section 19 permit
- People with commercial vehicles subject to finance agreements
- Council-funded buses, minibuses or coaches used as Home to School vehicles
- Families receiving Personal Travel Budgets who travel through the zone on their school route.
Click on the image below to enlarge
