The Transport Act 2000 (Air Traffic Services) (Amendment) Order 2025

This update only concerns Part III of the Transport Act 2000.

Part III provides for the establishment of ‘Clean Air Zones’ (CAZ) in England, to target persistent pollution problems. Under a CAZ scheme, local traffic authorities may implement a local charging scheme to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions and particulate matter from road-based activity with the aim to improve air quality.

The 2000 Act applies to the following CAZ:

• Bath;
• Birmingham;
• Bradford;
• Bristol;
• Manchester;
• Newcastle;
• Portsmouth; and
• Sheffield. 

Further CAZ may be added in the future.

The Greater London Low Emission Zone is covered by a separate piece of legislation which can be viewed here.

There are 2 types of CAZ.

1. Non-charging: Measures focus on improving air quality without imposing a fee on drivers (e.g. traffic flow management to reduce engine idling, incentives for ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) or for retrofitting vehicles, and encouraging uptake of business recognition schemes such as Go Ultra Low Company status).
2. Charging: Drivers are charged a fee for entering or travelling within a CAZ, if their vehicle fails to meet the required emission standards. This typically only applies to older, higher-polluting vehicles.

Annex A of the Clean Air Zone Framework sets out a list of motor vehicles that are exempt from charges. This includes:

• certain non-road going vehicles (e.g., mobile cranes, agricultural machines, digging machines);
• certain emergency services specialist vehicles (e.g., major incident command vehicles);
• vehicles with certain tax classes (e.g., historic tax class, disabled passenger vehicle tax class);
• military vehicles; and
• compliant vehicles (e.g., ULEVs).