Bristol Clean Air Zone proposals

[whole diary]

[Bmblbzzz]

Curious as to what these changes in national bus lane regulations were, I searched and found this from neighbouring Bath and North-East Somerset:

Motorists across Bath and North East Somerset are being advised that the penalty charge for driving in bus lanes or through bus gates is increasing from £60 to £70.

The increase is being introduced by the Government. However, while fines are increasing the discount period is being extended. To receive a 50% discount, drivers will now be given 21 days instead of 14 to pay their PCN (Penalty Charge Notice).

The changes will come into effect from one minute past midnight on Tuesday 31 May and only impact fines incurred after this date.

The changes are linked with new national regulations which will enable civil enforcement of moving traffic restrictions such as violations of yellow box junctions, banned turns and driving in formal cycle lanes. Until now these offences could only be enforced by the police.

https://newsroom.bathnes.gov.uk/news/changes-bus-lane-enforcement

Bus lanes and a number of other traffic regulations can now be enforced by councils, not only police, using ANPR. I can see how this might affect the enforcement of the CAZ^▸ (Clean Air Zone) but not its implementation, and the change can hardly be a surprise to Bristol city council. Or maybe there's another change I've missed?

[TonyK]

Curious as to what these changes in national bus lane regulations were, I searched and found this from neighbouring Bath and North-East Somerset:

Motorists across Bath and North East Somerset are being advised that the penalty charge for driving in bus lanes or through bus gates is increasing from £60 to £70.

The increase is being introduced by the Government. However, while fines are increasing the discount period is being extended. To receive a 50% discount, drivers will now be given 21 days instead of 14 to pay their PCN (Penalty Charge Notice).

The changes will come into effect from one minute past midnight on Tuesday 31 May and only impact fines incurred after this date.

The changes are linked with new national regulations which will enable civil enforcement of moving traffic restrictions such as violations of yellow box junctions, banned turns and driving in formal cycle lanes. Until now these offences could only be enforced by the police.

https://newsroom.bathnes.gov.uk/news/changes-bus-lane-enforcement

Bus lanes and a number of other traffic regulations can now be enforced by councils, not only police, using ANPR. I can see how this might affect the enforcement of the CAZ^▸ (Clean Air Zone) but not its implementation, and the change can hardly be a surprise to Bristol city council. Or maybe there's another change I've missed?

I struggle to see how the increase in fines or transfer of responsibility for enforcement of bus lanes can have affected a council contractor so profoundly. I would imaging  the council was given a heads up on this months ago, even before the citizens of Bristol and elsewhere were told what they wanted in a consultation.

[Bmblbzzz]

Quite.

[Bmblbzzz]

Oliver Lord, the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) head of the Clean Cities Campaign, which carried out the research, said the new analysis showed that cities embracing LEZs such as Bristol, Birmingham and London were on the right side of history.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/20/old-cars-forced-off-road-as-europes-clean-air-zones-nearly-double

<hollow laugh>

[DaveHarries]

One thing I note from looking at the map is that the CAZ^▸ (Clean Air Zone) boundary includes the A4 Portway between Bridge Valley Road and Hotwells as well as the swing bridges.

This will, presumably, raise money for BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about) by catching people in non-exempt vehicles who get diverted off the M5 South should it get closed and I wonder if that is why they include those routes above. IMO^▸ (in my opinion) anyone in an unexempt vehicle who is forced to divert onto the A4 Portway by closure of the M5 should be exempted as the diversion is forced. Even though I wouldn't incur a charge for entering the CAZ - my car is a '20' plate - I have replied to BCC on a Facebook post seeking clarification as to whether any exemption would apply but, knowing BCC, I suspect the answer will be no because BCC want money.

Oliver Lord, the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) head of the Clean Cities Campaign, which carried out the research, said the new analysis showed that cities embracing LEZs such as Bristol, Birmingham and London were on the right side of history.

Slightly biased opinion perhaps? Well he would, wouldn't he.

Dave

[Red Squirrel]

If the purpose of the CAZ^▸ (Clean Air Zone) is to raise money, why have BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about) been dragging their feet? You’d think they would have implemented it as soon as they could, rather than continually delaying it…

[Western Pathfinder]

The inclusion of the A4 Trunk Road is questionable to say the least,as the area is not highly populated,and the area around the Cumberland Basin itself is in the main open space,and has not ever been shown to suffer from poor air quality as far as I can find out.
The Portway and the A370 on Plimsole bridge/way being major roads ,are being included incorrectly,in my opinion they are in the scheme purely as a method of revenue generation.
This is just another way of hitting the motorist where it hurts in the pocket.
Those of us who drive,be it for work or for domestic,social purposes,and maintain our vehicles to a safe and roadworthy standard and pass emissions test & Mot,are effectively being penalised for going about our lawful daily lives.
I am intending to research further as to the legal position of this being applied to a major part of the road network.

Feedback/opinions/recommendations,all, most welcome.

[Bmblbzzz]

Major roads are where the most traffic is, so they have to be included if the scheme is to be effective in reducing air pollution to within UK^▸ (United Kingdom) legal limits.

[DaveHarries]

I am intending to research further as to the legal position of this being applied to a major part of the road network. Feedback/opinions/recommendations,all, most welcome.

I will be itnerested to see what you come up with. I personally think that penalising motorists who are diverted along a route where no other alternative is available (for example the only possible diversion from the M5 at Jcn 18 is the A4 and A370 to rejoin at Jcn 21 if the M5 is closed) is merely a money-making exercise and no more and should thereby not be legal.

No answer as yet to my question to BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about) regarding exemption of vehicles so diverted.

Dave

[Bmblbzzz]

Those of us who drive,be it for work or for domestic,social purposes,and maintain our vehicles to a safe and roadworthy standard and pass emissions test & Mot,are effectively being penalised for going about our lawful daily lives.
I am intending to research further as to the legal position of this being applied to a major part of the road network.

Feedback/opinions/recommendations,all, most welcome.

The majority of drivers (BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about) says 71%) will not pay a penny.

As a guide, charges will not apply to:

Euro 4, 5 and 6 petrol vehicles, roughly 2006 upwards
Euro 6 diesel vehicles, roughly end of 2015 onwards
fully electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
modified or retrofitted vehicles registered with the Energy Saving Trust’s Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) 
motorbikes

There are also various exemptions for residents within the zone, the disabled, those on below-average incomes and those attending the Bristol Royal Informary.
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/streets-travel/bristol-caz/charges-and-checker
Those who do have to pay are not being penalised for going about their lawful daily lives, they're paying to pollute air that everybody breathes.

With so many exemptions, I'm doubtful the scheme will work, but we'll find that out once it's been in place for a while.

Edited by Rogerw to clarify BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)

[TonyK]

If the purpose of the CAZ^▸ (Clean Air Zone) is to raise money, why have BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about) been dragging their feet? You’d think they would have implemented it as soon as they could, rather than continually delaying it…

I thought the object was to save money - you know, set up a CAZ like the government told you, or get fined etc. If the object was to clean the air up a bit, then there is still much to do. Changing an existing scheme to include different years is going to be easier than setting one up, though, so it could be a step in the right direction.

The majority of drivers (BCC says 71%) will not pay a penny.

As a guide, charges will not apply to:

Euro 4, 5 and 6 petrol vehicles, roughly 2006 upwards
Euro 6 diesel vehicles, roughly end of 2015 onwards
fully electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
modified or retrofitted vehicles registered with the Energy Saving Trust’s Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) 
motorbikes

There are also various exemptions for residents within the zone, the disabled, those on below-average incomes and those attending the BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains).
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/streets-travel/bristol-caz/charges-and-checker
Those who do have to pay are not being penalised for going about their lawful daily lives, they're paying to pollute air that everybody breathes.

With so many exemptions, I'm doubtful the scheme will work, but we'll find that out once it's been in place for a while.

Well... it wouldn't be Bristol without a long list of exemptions, would it? I doubt very many members here will be stung for it.