Cash grants to help drivers upgrade high-polluting vehicles and dodge new tolls in Newcastle city centre will be launched next week.
Council bosses have finally confirmed details of long-awaited financial support that will be on offer for motorists who will face heavy daily charges under a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) due to come into force early in 2023. Tolls of up to £50 per day for some older, high-emission vehicles to enter the city centre will begin on January 30, though all private cars will be exempt.
Taxi drivers and owners of vans, buses, coaches, and HGVs that do not meet the CAZ’s environmental standards have now been urged to apply quickly for grants worth up to £16,000 to help them install upgrades or buy newer, cleaner models. Applications will open next Monday, November 21, for grants – and Tyneside transport chiefs have pledged that anyone who applies for funding will be made exempt from the CAZ tolls while they are waiting to get their replacement vehicle.
