The Clean Air Zone is "on track" to launch in September, the city's mayor said today.
Designed to curb traffic air pollution, the Clean Air Zone will see drivers of older, more polluting vehicles - an estimated 75,000 a day - charged to enter an area of the city centre. The council has previously said that it estimates that about three in 10 vehicles in Bristol will attract the charges, which were set at £9 for smaller vehicles and £100 a day for larger vehicles.
It has also previously said that the city is under a legal duty to introduce a clean air zone to reduce toxic pollution caused by traffic in the shortest possible time and Bristol City Council revealed last month that the CAZ is expected to launch in September.
READ MORE: Land Rover owner describes Clean Air Zone charges as 'absolutely ridiculous'
Speaking at a press briefing, city mayor Marvin Rees confirmed the Clean Air Zone will launch in September, but didn't give a specific date. He said: "In terms of our work, we are on course - but this is also a national scheme. Delivering a Clean Air Zone has to be done with national government, but we have had no indication from national government yet that they are delayed.
"But then again it is always possible, because national government does not always deliver on time - when you look at the UK shared prosperity fund and a number of other announcements we have been waiting on from national. Things at the moment seem to be all on track."
As part of the CAZ introduction, the council has secured a £42m package of support with the government, which includes £1.8 million of loans and grants to help people who need to change their vehicle, £32 million for businesses to upgrade HGVs, LGVs, taxis and private hire vehicles and £5.9 million to help people switch to public transport and make more journeys by walking or cycling with free electric bike loans, cycle training and free bus tickets.
Last week, we revealed how the majority of Bristol Live readers who responded to our survey on the Clean Air Zone do not agree with it. Of the 438 responses received, 59.8 per cent (262 responses) said they didn't back the new scheme.
Our results also showed that most respondents - 70 per cent - think the charges are too high, with 21 per cent saying they are proportionate and seven per cent believing they are too low. A total of 40 per cent of respondents (183) said they were not worried about the air quality in Bristol, with 28 per cent saying that they are "slightly worried". A further 22 per cent said they are "very worried" - but seven per cent said they didn't know enough about it.
