This Spring, Bradford, where Keep it Cool’s HQ is located, is set to join Bath, Birmingham and Portsmouth by implementing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ). These are defined areas where a daily charge is taken when entering using certain vehicles, with the intention of improving air quality. Many such projects are being launched in response to ministerial orders to Councils issued by central Government in 2018, which called for local authorities to reduce illegal levels of harmful air pollution by the end of 2022. The hope is to reduce unnecessary traffic and to encourage vehicle owners to consider upgrading their vehicles to compliant standards.

The plans have been met with mixed reactions however, not least from businesses who are reliant on using their vehicles in the designated zones, and for whom upgrading their vehicles may not be practical. Given that 98% of all food and agricultural products in the country are transported by road freight and that the sector is the UK’s fifth largest employer, it’s clear that a balance needs to be struck between necessary road use and measures to reduce air pollution.

Why does Bradford need a Clean Air Zone?

Locations where levels of nitrogen dioxide are higher than the legal limits have been identified in Bradford, and as such the Council has had to put together a Clean Air Plan in order to reduce these levels. More than 500 people die from respiratory disease in the Bradford area every year, and it’s estimated that around 25% of these deaths are preventable. Rates of early death (before the age of 75) from respiratory disease in the district are actually among the highest in the country, and second highest in Yorkshire and Humber. Whilst there has been a downward trend in England, with mortality rates generally falling, in Bradford rates have been rising from 2011-13 onwards. In the period from 2012 to 2014, the age-standardised mortality rate for respiratory disease in the under 75s was 50.1 deaths per 100,000 population, compared to 32.6 per 100,000 population for England and 38.6 per 100,000 population for Yorkshire and the Humber.

Bradford Council therefore have set out to bring the levels of nitrogen dioxide within legal limits in the shortest possible time. Using air quality monitoring, evaluation and modelling studies, they have identified a Clean Air Zone as the most effective method of doing so, although there is actually little evidence whether these policies improve air quality and health, and what effect they might have on health inequalities. Although several other district Councils have opted to implement Clean Air Zones, they have not yet been in place long enough to gather sufficient data to measure their efficacy. The Council argues however that the scheme will mean that there will be an increase in numbers of electric vehicles, and that the number of more polluting vans, lorries, taxis and buses will fall.

How will the Bradford Clean Air Zone work?

The planned Bradford scheme will be a Class C+ Clean Air Zone, which means charges will be applicable for all non-compliant vehicles, except passenger cars (not including taxis / private hire cars which will be subject to the daily charge if non-compliant). HGVs, buses and coaches must meet a minimum of Euro 6 – diesel standards (including alternative fuels), whilst LGVs, minibuses and Hackney carriages must meet Euro 6 – diesel, Euro 4 – petrol, or Euro 4 – LPG standards. Compliance requirements for private hire vehicles depend on their size and if they are wheelchair accessible. 

The Bradford Clean Air Zone has been designated to cover the area inside, and including the Bradford outer ring road, extending to further include Shipley and Saltaire via the Aire valley corridor (Manningham Lane/Bradford Road and Canal Road area).You can see the zone in detail here. 

The daily charges for non-compliant vehicles are £50 for HGVs, buses and coaches, £9 for LGVs and minibuses, and £7 for Hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. All money collected, both from daily charges and fines for non-payment of the charge, is due to be invested in measures to further improve air quality in the district. Some grants have been made available and it is possible to apply for exemption in certain circumstances.

What does this mean for the haulage industry?

The Euro 6 standard was introduced in 2015, meaning that most trucks sold from September 2016 onwards will not be charged to enter the Bradford Clean Air Zone. Those that are not compliant however will pose a dilemma to business owners.  Adapting vehicles or replacing them altogether is a huge expense for businesses, and one which many will not be able to afford given the recent economical downturn. 

The shortage of second-hand, Euro 6 standard HGVs means that suitable vehicles are not only hard to come by, but are also selling at inflated prices. Fuel prices continue to increase too, and look set to continue to do so for some time. Industry leaders have accused the Government of failing to understand how competitive the haulage industry is, especially considering the low cost it is expected to pass on to consumers. With food costs and other living expenses increasing, the industry needs to stay as cost effective as possible so as not to pass on additional costs to consumers. There is also concern within the industry that “stranded assets” will only increase and actually add to environmental impact. When new regulations such as the Clean Air Zones are applied to vehicles part way through their life-cycle, they may need to be prematurely retired, which causes a vast waste of resources.

How has the industry responded?

The Road Haulage Association, of which Keep it Cool is a member, is calling for national consistency on Clean Air Zones. Local authorities are currently left to set their own rules and procedures, which can cause particular issues for hauliers who travel across the country and may enter multiple CAZs on a regular basis. In a statement from the RHA policy unit, the organisation said: “In principle, the RHA does not dispute the policy intention behind CAZ. Following the ClientEarth court wins, the Government has at face value seemingly gripped the need to bring down harmful Nitrogen Oxide emissions. This should be welcome news. We all want a healthy clean environment.”

However, the practical implications for hauliers and for local businesses trying to comply have not been thought through properly. The RHA, amongst others, have highlighted issues in the design of the Clean Air Zone framework over the last few years. They say that by inflexibly basing compliance on the Euro 6 emission standard, the implementation of Clean Air Zones has caused the re-sale values of non-Euro 6 lorries to collapse, and a knock-on shortage in second-hand Euro 6 trucks that has caused the price to rise. Adding costs, whether in charges or new vehicles, impacts the viability of many businesses, and will likely mean many operators will go out of business, as well as price rises for consumers.

The RHA’s statement continued:  “All this pain can be avoided however if ministers urgently change course and implement a smarter policy framework to reduce NOx emissions. We can be cleaner and at less cost.” They suggest instead that local authorities charge only the oldest and most polluting vehicles across all vehicle types (e.g. Euro 3/III or older); that they allow differential charging (lower charges for Euro 5/V); mandating that auto-pay is available for all vehicles including non-UK vehicles; and finally, committing to an end date for CAZ charges.

While the haulage industry, including Keep it Cool, supports the desire to improve air quality in the Bradford district, the proposed Clean Air Zone seems too blunt an instrument to be effectual, and poses unnecessary risks to businesses in the area. The scheme doesn’t take into account particles created by friction on tyres of all vehicles, nor the increase of private cars on the road which could be reduced by improvements to public transport. SUVs now make up more than 40% of new cars sold in the UK, and use around 25% more energy than a standard-sized family car, because they are larger, heavier and create more drag. Indeed, SUVs were the second largest contributor to the increase in global carbon emissions from 2010 to 2018, yet private vehicles such as these are not included in the Clean Air Zone restrictions. With Leeds Council backing the expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport too, it’s hard for the road haulage industry, on which the country depends, to digest Bradford Council’s CAZ plans.

Due to constant investment in our wagons, Keep it Cool does have a compliant fleet. As a company, we are continuously striving to lessen our environmental impact, despite significant cost implications. However, we are aware that all businesses have different pressures and not every company is able to respond and react in the same way.