ULEZ and CAZ Guide for Van Operators

As the Government continues to work on improving air quality across the UK, local councils and cities are implementing low emission zones, clean air zones and zero emission zones to help reduce the amount of air pollution generated by vehicles. Despite the many benefits this will provide, the introduction of these zones poses a fresh set of challenges for commercial vehicle operators to overcome.

With this in mind, Dawsongroup vans has created a FREE ULEZ and CAZ guide with everything you need to know about these low emission zones and how we can help support your fleet in overcoming these new challenges.

What are Low Emission Zones?

A low emission zone is a scheme within an area identified by the Government to reduce the number of high-polluting vehicles operating within that area. The scheme aims to achieve this by creating minimum emissions standards that vehicles need to achieve to operate within these zones, without incurring a charge. If your vehicle does not meet these standards, you can still currently operate within these low emission zones, but there is usually a charge.

What are the Different Types of Low Emission Zones?

As the need to tackle the current air pollution problem increases, it is no shock that low emission zones are becoming increasingly popular across the UK and Europe. There are a few variations of low emission zones, with the most popular types being Clean Air Zones, an Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) that operates in central London and even a Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) in Oxford.

The Ultra-Low Emission Zone, which is currently in operation within London, was introduced in 2019 to discourage drivers in high-polluting vehicles operating within inner-city London by applying a daily charge to vehicles that did not meet the required emission standards. The ULEZ is set to be expanded from 29^th August 2023 to include all London Boroughs, following the initial success in reducing CO₂ levels within London.

A Clean Air Zone is an area within a city where the local authority has brought in measures to improve the air quality. The key difference with a CAZ is that there are both charging and non-charging zones currently in place.

Finally, a Zero Emission Zone, which is currently only operational in Oxford, is an area where only zero emission vehicles (such as fully electric vans) can operate without incurring a daily charge.

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