The growth of Clean Air Zones (CAZ) across the UK has led to van drivers being hit with access fees and penalty charges.
New research by Peugeot has found that van drivers pay an average of £780 each year, equivalent to £65 per month, for driving into Low Emissions Zones (LEZ) and Clean Air Zones.
Those in London face the highest financial burden, spending an average of £99 per month, or almost £1,200 every year.
This is followed by those who enter the Tyneside Clean Air Zone, which covers both Newcastle and Gateshead. Accessing this CAZ costs van drivers around £82 per month in fees, adding up to an annual total of £984.
Notably, the London and Tyneside CAZs both charge a higher fee of £12.50 per day, compared to the £8 to £10 daily charge applied in other zones across the UK.
Expanded Clean Air Zones across Britain
There are now 14 different Low Emission Zones, Clean Air Zones or Zero Emission Zones across the UK, including the London ULEZ and LEZ.
Nine of these charge non-compliant petrol and diesel vehicles an entry fee, with penalty charge notices issued to drivers who fail to pay.
In Wales, which does not operate any CAZs, van drivers pay the lowest average each month, at just £37.
Scotland has LEZs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen, but van drivers only pay a monthly average of £39. This is largely due to the fact that Scotland does not charge daily access fees, but instead bans non-compliant vehicles altogether, and issues fines to any that enter the four LEZs.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Peugeot uncovered that the 13 CAZs and LEZs across the UK have generated nearly £1.5 billion in revenue.
Since the London ULEZ and LEZ areas were expanded in 2023, these alone have raised some £1.2 billion.
Electric vans could be the solution
Payments by van drivers for CAZs and LEZs now exceed the average of £632 spent each year on parking, and the £715 accrued on servicing and maintenance.
Only fuel was a bigger expense for van drivers, costing an average of £176 per month, or £2,112 annually.
Steve Wass, managing director of Peugeot UK, said: “With rising fuel and living costs, our research highlights how much commercial van drivers face in terms of annual expenditure. For those regularly driving into Clean Air Zones, the cost of running a non-compliant van can add up, proving there has never been a better time to switch to cleaner and more sustainable transportation.
“Peugeot is committed to helping businesses make that transition by offering fully electric van models like the E-Partner, E-Expert and E-Boxer, available on monthly finance deals that match their diesel equivalents.”
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