As of April 2021, the City of Birmingham has had a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), an area in which there are regulations in place to tackle air pollution.
These rules are universally used throughout various cities in the UK that also have Clean Air Zones in their city centres.
But what are Clean Air Zones? And how does it affect motoring throughout
Birmingham? Let’s explore that today.
What is a Clean Air Zone?
A Clean Air Zone is an area where government/councils have set rules to tackle on-road air pollution. Air pollutants that are targeted are the likes of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
By helping reduce the number of air pollutants caused by cars, the UK hope to safeguard public health through the betterment of our eco-system.
Many cities in the United Kingdom have implemented these Clean Air Zones, such as
Bath and
Portsmouth, to help contribute towards a greener future.
The rules and penalties are mostly more lenient than a Low Emission Zone (LEZ)and an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
Technically speaking, LEZs and ULEZs are Clean Air Zones, but both LEZs and ULEZs have stricter rules and punishments in place.
With a few cities in the UK having LEZ rules in place, London is the only area with ULEZ restrictions, that being the largest restrictions possible.
In terms of Birmingham, a Clean Air Zone is in place.