Blue Badge holders will need to pay the charge to enter Bath’s Clean Air Zone from March 15th as the exemption period comes to an end.

The city’s CAZ requires drivers of vehicles other than private cars and motorbikes to pay a charge to drive though the zone, which covers large parts of the city centre and adjacent areas, if they do not meet the Council’s emissions standards.

Drivers with disabilities who hold Blue Badges were one of several groups able to apply for their vehicle to be exempt in the first two years of the Clean Air Zone, which came into force in 2021. But now the exemption period is almost up.

From March 15th, Blue Badge holders, wheelchair accessible taxis, community health, education, social care workers, community transport, and people who got exemptions under the financial assistance scheme will all now have to pay the charge, other than those with a private car.

B&NES Council’s cabinet member for transport Manda Rigby said: “When we went with the first CAZ outside London, we were determined to introduce it as equitably as possible, whilst hitting air quality targets.”

“We were very clear about all the exemptions having a two year period from the start.”

“It would be unfair on the nine-hundred-plus residents who changed their vehicles with assistance from the finance scheme to help us all breathe cleaner air, if we didn’t do as initially shown in the scheme and changed the rules now for the minority who still have non compliant vehicles.”

The daily charge to enter the Clean Air Zone is £9 for taxis, minibuses, vans, pick-up trucks, and some campervans and four-by-fours; and £100 for coaches, buses, and HGVs.

Private HGVs can have the £100 reduced to £9, if registered with the Council.

Motorbikes and private cars are not charged for entering the Clean Air Zone.