Ad
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
15.4 C
London

U.K. Edition

Clean Air Zone roll-out set to impact scaffolding firms delivering into city centres

- Advertisement -

As plans to introduce and roll out Clean Air Zones in cities across the UK, experts are warning operators of HGV’s and Vans that delivering into some city centres is likely to incur considerable extra costs in the near future.

Clean Air Zones (CAZ) are areas in which local councils have brought measures into place to improve the air quality. The creation of CAZ in major UK cities and possibly beyond is part of the government’s broader Air Quality Plan, which aims to improve air quality and address sources of pollution.

If the operator’s HGV, LGV or van fails to meet the required environmental standards the driver is charged a fee to enter the zone.

The first Clean Air Zone was launched in Bath on the 15 March while Birmingham is set to roll out its own on the 1 June. Other cities have been earmarked for similar projects including Oxford, Bristol, Manchester and Nottingham.

London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is also set to be vastly expanded to cover a broader area from 25 October.

Whilst larger companies operating fleets of trucks and vans are likely to be prepared for the introduction of Clean Air Zones in UK cities, Paul Hollick, the chairman of the Association of Fleet Professionals, says he’s concerned about a lack of awareness elsewhere.

Speaking to Autocar he said: “Fleets of five-to-45 vehicles won’t have a dedicated fleet manager, won’t be a member of the AFP and won’t read the fleet press, and then it will just hit them because it isn’t widely known about what’s going on in the normal press. Small and medium-size enterprises are ill-educated about this topic, and it will sneak up and bite them.”

“The biggest impact will be the expansion of the ULEZ. Everyone is bracing themselves for when it goes live in October, because it has big ramifications for national fleets,”

“We would much rather have a national scheme, rather than localised schemes with different variants.

“Auto-pay is a concern for us: we need a way for fleets to be able to pay automatically. As the number of cities that are doing CAZs rises, that becomes more and more complicated for us to be able to manage.

“At the moment, it’s manageable and we know where everything is. But it would be better if it were steered nationally, rather than locally, because that creates distortion, particularly around fleet businesses, as everyone forgets about fleets.”

Find out more at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-a-clean-air-zone

- Advertisement -

Popular this week >

Three Workers Killed at Texas LNG Terminal

Editor's Note Update: Earlier reports that a scaffold collapse...

NASC Launches Second Phase of TG30 Scaffolding Guidance

Today, the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) announced...

Scaffolding Excellence Awards 2025 Open for Entries

The UK’s top accolades for the access and scaffolding...

Yorkshire firm boosts production with major investment in digital printing

Industrial Textiles and Plastics (ITP) Ltd, a Yorkshire-based manufacturer...

Scaffolding Association Launches First in New Guidance Series

The Scaffolding Association has released the first in a...
- Advertisements -

Related Articles >

How To Make Working At Height Safer

The latest statistics from the HSE reveal that, although falls from height are reducing, they are still one of the most common causes of injuries to employees and account for 29% of fatalities...

Latest Topics

Scaffolder Dies After Fall at Hong Kong Site Despite Wearing Safety Harness

A 62-year-old scaffolder has died after falling from a...

Star Scaffolding’s Mark Chard Shortlisted for Top Business Award

Managing Director of West Bromwich-based Star Scaffolding, Mark Chard,...

Scaffolding Association Launches First in New Guidance Series

The Scaffolding Association has released the first in a...

Acrow Expands Industrial Access Division with Strategic Acquisitions in NSW

Scaffolding and industrial access solutions company Acrow has strengthened...
- Advertisement -

Popular Categories