Sheffield’s clean air zone (CAZ) will start charging non-compliant vehicles to enter the city from today (Monday, February 27).

A class C zone, charges will apply to non-compliant taxis, light goods vehicles (LGVs), buses and coaches, and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

Petrol vehicles will need to be Euro 4 and diesel vehicles Euro 6 to avoid the £10 daily charge for taxis and vans, while non-compliant coaches, buses and trucks will have to pay £50 to enter the zone.

The zone will run 24 hours day a week, seven days a week.

Cllr Mazher Iqbal, co-chair of the transport regeneration and climate policy committee, said: “We are very aware of the challenges the introduction of the clean air zone poses for businesses and vehicle owners and we empathise with those affected.

“We know it may impact some financially, that’s why we worked hard to secure the best financial package we could from Government for those who need support once the changes are live.”

LGV owners based in Sheffield or Rotherham could be eligible to apply for a temporary exemption until midnight on June 4, 2023.

An automatic exemption for Hackney Carriage taxis licensed with Sheffield City Council will be in place until midnight on June 4. Charging for these vehicles will begin from June 5.

The council has a financial support package of more than £20 million in place to help those with the most polluting vehicles upgrade or replace their vehicles. 

Drivers will not receive a reminder to pay the charge. They must pay for their journey within a 13-day payment window: six days before their journey; on the day of their journey; up to and including six days after travel.

In response to the CAZ going live, Europcar Vans and Trucks is offering a range of solutions for compliant van hire, with its vans specialists at the Sheffield Supersite providing advice and support to businesses considering their options. 

“Businesses have an increasing focus on reducing their environmental impact, even without the introduction of the clean air zones,” said Keith Shorter, Europcar Vans and Trucks Director.

“However, the reality is that not all organisations can upgrade their commercial fleets to be compliant, which is where Europcar can play a supporting role.  

“All vans on the Europcar fleet are Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol. Therefore, employers can be confident that their drivers can go in and out of a CAZ without risk of fines, with a range of rental periods available to cover most business needs.

The 10,000 commercial vehicles currently in the Europcar fleet range from small panel vans to crew vans, tippers and traffic management drop sides and other specialist vehicles.

The fleet also includes a growing number of electric and hybrid commercial vehicles giving businesses the option to ‘try before they buy’ on new low and zero emissions motoring technology. 

“A lot of businesses want to run greener and more efficient fleets”, continued Shorter. “But the current vehicle supply challenges, as well as economic pressures, mean it’s not always feasible to upgrade fleet for the growing network of clean air zones across the UK.  We are, therefore, working closely with employers to identify the right vehicles for them and their drivers.” 

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