Drivers are being advised to pay the Clean Air Zone charge in Bristol even if they haven’t entered the CAZ area - because the city council doesn’t have the capacity to check whether a motorist did or not.
Motorists - particularly those visiting the city who are less familiar with the boundaries of the Clean Air Zone - have contacted Bristol Live to report that requests to the council to find out if they are liable to pay the £9 charge are being turned down, with council officials telling motorists it’s their responsibility to work out if they did enter the zone or not.
Motorists have told Bristol Live that they feel the system being used in Bristol - which puts the onus on the motorist - is unfair, especially when compared to the way the Congestion Charge works in London, which allows motorists to set up an account which pays the charge whenever a registered vehicle enters the zone.
