Only 52 people have secured grants to help them upgrade to cleaner vehicles under Newcastle’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ), five months after the cash scheme was launched.
Applications opened last November for drivers seeking financial help to purchase new, lower emission vehicles that would not be subject to the recently-imposed pollution tolls in Newcastle city centre. But Newcastle City Council has confirmed that only 52 requests have since been successful out of almost 3,000 that have been lodged, less than two per cent.
The local authority admitted that there had been “some delays” in dealing with applications, which can be for up to £16,000 depending on the type of vehicle. More than 500 motorists have been told whether or not they are eligible to receive a grant, but 2,304 are still waiting to hear back.
