Bluelight fleets avoid clean air zone charges after exemption extended

Non-compliant fire service vehicles will now not be charged to enter a city’s clean air zone (CAZ) after a four-year exemption was due to end in March.

Bath launched the first charging CAZ outside London, on March 15, 2021, with non-compliant vans, taxis and minibuses charged £9, while non-compliant trucks and lorries, and coaches and buses faced a daily charge of £100.

Charges apply to pre-euro 6/VI diesel and pre-euro 4 petrol vehicles.

Bluelight fleets were given a four-year exemption from charges to give them time to adopt cleaner vehicles.

However, in a recent report from Avon Fire Authority, it said that the current level of CAZ compliant vehicles within the station-based appliance fleet is currently less than half (40), as a result of its fleet replacement programme, and it won’t be fully compliant for another six years. 

The proposed capital investment in vehicle procurement suggests that almost half (48%) of its appliance fleet will achieve compliance by March 2026. 

A further 24 specialist operational vehicles are currently 21% CAZ compliant. 

The lifecycle and appliance replacement programme for the turntable ladders, as an example, will not achieve clean air compliant emissions in Bath and Bristol city centres until 2030, it said. 

In terms of its ancillary fleet, as of January 2025, Avon Fire and Rescue Service has 26 electric vehicles (EVs).

The replacement profile for the final 24 vehicles will be reviewed during 2025/2026, and once replaced, would total 50 zero-emission vehicles, representing 72% of the ancillary fleet, or 37% of the total fleet profile.

The current expectation is the fleet will be CAZ compliant by 2031, while the fire authority has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2030.

In a statement, Bath and North East Somerset Council said: “We have agreed an extension of the current waiver period on CAZ charges on Avon Fire and Rescue Service vehicles beyond March 15.

“We have agreed that clear timelines for this should be included in any updated memorandum of understanding and welcome the service's commitment to working with us to address these issues.”

Bath and North East Somerset Council has requested the fire service provide a timeline indicating when their fleet will be compliant.

“The extension of this exemption is currently being discussed with each individual service as part of ongoing continued dialogue,” the statement continued.

“We note the efforts to date from Avon and Somerset Police and South West Ambulance Service Trust in meeting compliance through fleet upgrade and redistribution plans.

“We are working with Avon Fire and Rescue to understand their fleet replacement programme and these discussions will assist us in confirming the necessary extension period.”

Avon and Somerset Police said it has been working closely with the council to source cleaner vehicles and create a “zero-emission police fleet”.

The force still has 66 non-compliant vehicles, but half of them are due to be replaced immediately.

“For the remainder, we are confident that, by working with the council, we can mitigate any significant cost impact by sending alternate, compliant vehicles into the city whenever possible,” a spokesperson told the BBC.  .