Drivers are being warned about a number of rule and law changes coming in July - including one in Newcastle.
Van owners in the North East are being urged to prepare themselves for the start of new tolls in the Newcastle Clean Air Zone (CAZ). Having been given a six-month reprieve on charges since the launch of the CAZ in January, drivers of some high-polluting vans and LGVs that do not meet emissions standards will have to pay £12.50 per day to drive into Newcastle city centre.
Older buses, coaches, lorries, and taxis are already charged in the anti-pollution zone, which was imposed after local councils were ordered by the Government to cut illegal levels of emissions, but all private cars remain exempt. More details of the changes coming in July are outlined below.
And here is a round-up of all the major changes motorists should expect this month. The list also includes information on the heavy goods vehicle (HGV) levy and the impact of energy price changes.
Clean Air Zone
Tyneside’s Clean Air Zone, covering Newcastle and Gateshead, launched in January, but new changes will be introduced this month. From July 17, older, more polluting vans and light goods vehicles will be charged to drive inside the area, being charged a daily fee of £12.50 if they are not compliant.
Coun Jane Byrne, cabinet member for a connected, clean city at Newcastle City Council, said: “This is the second stage of the launch of the Clean Air Zone, which is in place to help tackle air pollution and protect people’s health by reducing the number of older, more polluting vehicles using our roads.
“Many drivers and business owners are already familiar with the Clean Air Zone but this will be the first time non-compliant vans and light goods vehicles will face charges.”
Fuel price report
Petrol and diesel prices have been sticking points for drivers up and down the country for years now, with fluctuations seeing costs drop as low as £1.10 during the pandemic to record-breaking costs seen last summer. July 7 marks the deadline for the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) to publish its market study into the price of road fuel, having released an update in May, the Express reports.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said that interviews would be taking place with supermarket bosses to determine why prices were not coming down quickly enough. She added: “Although much of the pressure on pump prices is down to global factors including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have found evidence that suggests weakening retail competition is contributing to higher prices for drivers at the pumps.”
Energy price cap
The start of July has seen the energy price cap reduced to £2,074 for the average household, with people paying less for their bills over the summer. Electric vehicle owners are set to see major benefits from this, especially if they have an off-peak electric vehicle tariff.
Charging on such a tariff with a typical EV, it would cost just £127.50 for a year’s worth of driving with Octopus Intelligent at 7.5p/kWh.
HGV levy
July 31 will signal the end of the heavy goods vehicle (HGV) levy, with a reformed HGV levy being introduced on August 1, 2023. This levy applies to all HGVs that weigh over 12 tonnes, with the money being used to maintain the roads and is based on vehicle weight to determine CO2 emissions, vehicle air quality emissions and levy duration. The HGV road user levy can see drivers pay as much as £10 per day or £749 a year for the most polluting vehicles.
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