Following the launch of the Sheffield clean air zone (CAZ) earlier this year, data now shows there has been a significant increase in compliant vehicles driving in CAZ zones and wider areas of the city.
Sheffield City Council say that the proportion of more polluting vehicles driving through Sheffield has fallen by up to two thirds according to information taken from a survey in October 2023 when compared with the same survey from November 2022. The city’s CAZ came into effect on Monday 27th February 2023, with the aim to reduce the harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide across Sheffield caused by polluting traffic.
The class C charging zone requires the most heavily polluting, non-compliant lorries, vans, busses, coaches and taxis to pay a fee to drive into the zone, with a view to encourage motorists to upgrade their vehicles to cleaner ones.
Councillor Ben Miskell, chair of the transport, Regeneration and Climate committee, said: “Hundreds of people in Sheffield die prematurely each year due to air pollution, cleaning up the quality of air we breathe around Sheffield is rightly one of our top priorities and this data shows motorists are helping by moving to cleaning vehicles in response to the Clean Air Zone. Ahead of the launch of CAZ, we petitioned the Government hard to provide the best possible financial support package for local people and it’s great to see so many people applying for support to upgrade their vehicle.”
“The Financial Assistance Scheme support is still avaliable to those wishing to upgrade and we would encourage people to apply.”
To learn more about Sheffield’s Clean Air Zone or to apply for financial support, please visit the website: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/clean-air-zone-sheffield