Bristol’s new Clean Air Zone could soon be scrapped completely if pollution falls below certain levels according to the mayor. Marvin Rees denied plans to expand the new charging scheme across the whole of the city, instead saying it might “not be needed any more”.
The Clean Air Zone (CAZ) was brought in on Monday, November 28, after lengthy delays. The scheme sees drivers of particularly polluting vehicles charged to enter an area around the city centre, but some have suggested it could be expanded to a wider area in future.
Mr Rees said Bristol City Council was legally forced to introduce the CAZ, and it was not “thought up in a back room of the council”. Environmental campaigners Client Earth took legal action against the government for high levels of air pollution in many cities, leading to Bristol’s CAZ.
