More details on national CAZ portal

The Government’s Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) has started demonstrating its new Clean Air Zone (CAZ) vehicle checker and payment portal to fleet stakeholders.

The BVRLA is very disappointed that the system – which is designed to provide one central portal for people travelling into CAZs across the country – will not provide an autopay facility for fleets. Transport for London uses an autopay system for the Congestion Charge, which allows companies to register their fleet details and then be billed automatically for the number of chargeable days each vehicle spends in the zone.  Instead of autopay, JAQU has proposed a ‘self-directed’ approach where those entering the CAZs will be given seven days to pay prior to entering a zone and six days after their journey.

As it currently stands the portal will enable fleets to pay for multiple vehicles but can only pay for one CAZ at a time.

“We welcome a centralised mechanism for paying Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charges, but this lack of an autopay function will place a huge burden on fleet operators as more schemes are launched through 2020 and into 2021,” said BVRLA Chief Executive, Gerry Keaney.

JAQU’s decision not to provide an autopay option is based on its desire to discourage people from travelling into CAZ areas. Unfortunately, this doesn’t account for commercial vehicles (CVs) who have to enter cities to deliver essential goods/services and who will face the heaviest fines with HGVs being charged daily fees of £50 in Birmingham and Leeds and potentially as much as £100 in Bath (which is due to launch in November).

The new portal, which is still in testing, is due to go live in advance of the first charging Clean Air Zones (CAZs) in Birmingham and Leeds which are due to begin in July 2020. It will only apply to CAZs in England and Wales and will not be a centralised portal for other congestion or low emission zone charges.

The BVRLA has previously held workshops with JAQU and its members and continues to engage with the unit in the hope that further improvements can be made to the system. JAQU has agreed to the association’s request for a centralised CAZ helpdesk and we hope that the investment made in the centralised payment portal could in future be leveraged to enable fleets to pay for multiple schemes including Low Emission Zones (LEZs), congestion charges or similar.

BVRLA guidance and information on the UK’s proposed Clean Air Zones.