Bristol may be first to ban diesel in a UK city centre

Bristol intends banning private diesel vehicles from its city centre, possibly becoming the first city in the United Kingdom to do so, in a bid to reduce high air pollution.

The city council’s proposals include banning private diesel cars entering the central area between 7am and 3pm daily from March 2021. The ban would not apply to taxis and private hire vehicles or emergency services.

Commercial diesel vehicles like taxis would, however, pay a fee to enter a wider clean air zone using a number plate recognition system.

Charges are expected to be around 100 pounds daily for trucks, buses and coaches, down to about nine pounds daily for taxis and light commercial vehicles such as delivery vans.

Transgressors face a fine but further details, including exemptions, have yet to be determined.

Government approval is needed to implement the diesel ban.

Bristol also plans to introduce a vehicle scrapping scheme of up to 2000 pounds to encourage diesel owners to find a low or zero emissions vehicle.

The UK government has to abide by a court order to bring air pollution levels down to legal limits as soon as possible.

Bristol is among 36 out of 43 local authorities in England and Wales where polluted air levels exceed legal limits and the city has high nitrous oxide concentrations mainly from diesel.

The city aims to achieve legal nitrous oxide levels by 2025 and its scheme is reported to cost about 113 million pounds, likely to be met largely from government grants.

London has also introduced clean air zones and fees, but Bristol’s move takes it a step further.