Bath Clean Air Zone

[DM]

Has anyone taken their Cali into Bath since the clean air zone was introduced? The website wants to charge me £9 even though I should be exempt on 2 counts.
1. It is not a goods vehicle, van, taxi or minibus.
2. It has a Euro 6 engine.
As far as I am aware the vehicle is correct on the DVLA database. TfL certainly knows it is a Euro 6 as I don’t have to lay the ultra low emission zone charge in London.

I guess I will have to pay up and try to claim a refund. I need to get it sorted as more such zones are on the way.

 

[5i1ver8ack]

I haven’t yet, but will soon. The website says I’m exempt.

In your situation I would pay and obtain refund if appropriate.

Drive in a clean air zone

Find out if you need to pay to drive in a clean air zone and check your vehicle meets emission standards.

www.gov.uk

 

[Vagophile]

I hadn't thought about this until now.
My Cali (Sept 2013 Bluemotion) is coming up as a van, with a £9/day charge.
This categorisation is derived from the log book, but nowhere does it state Van.
The standard given is Euro 6 emissions and I am told that I can find my emissions standard from the log book.
Looking at the log book, Category V gives exhaust emissions, but they are given as V.1 CO; V.2 HO; V.3 NOx; V.4 HC+NOx; and V5 particulates. There is no single category number.
How do I find the emissions status?
Incidentally, my 17 year old diesel car, probably much less efficient , is exempt.

 

[Meoncoast]

Just checked our Cali. 2016 150 T6

Bath	No Charge	Now	Zone boundary	Bath and North East Somerset Council
Birmingham	No Charge	1 June 2021

 

[Louis II]

Euro 5 Cali SE (T5 and 5.1) are chargeable due to having a body type camper van although very unclear on the bathnes website, not sure about a beach. T6 with euro 6 engines should not be chargeable. If the website says it is there is an option to report incorrect details and they are, for a government dept, fairly responsive.

 

[DM]

Well I drove through the zone today so I presume They now think I owe them £9. There are 7 days for me to pay so I will call tomorrow and see what they say. I suspect I will have to pay the £9 and then attempt to claim it back.

 

[SimonB]

Well I drove through the zone today so I presume They now think I owe them £9. There are 7 days for me to pay so I will call tomorrow and see what they say. I suspect I will have to pay the £9 and then attempt to claim it back.

I'd be interested to hear their response. Also from their web site if your journey goes past midnight, ie starts at 23.45 and you are still in the CAZ at 00.05 they are counting that as 2 days and thus they will charge you 2 x £9. The zones operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.
Could prove expensive if parents are picking children up from a concert, or having a meal in Bath and it goes past midnight.
Good luck, Simon

 

[Loz]

Has anyone taken their Cali into Bath since the clean air zone was introduced? The website wants to charge me £9 even though I should be exempt on 2 counts.
1. It is not a goods vehicle, van, taxi or minibus.
2. It has a Euro 6 engine.
As far as I am aware the vehicle is correct on the DVLA database. TfL certainly knows it is a Euro 6 as I don’t have to lay the ultra low emission zone charge in London.

I guess I will have to pay up and try to claim a refund. I need to get it sorted as more such zones are on the way.

I just checked mine and no charg, we both have 204 but mine is 4motion so more likely to be charged but it's no charge.

It does say that if you think their site is wrong to contact them.

Clean air zone support
Online contact form
Telephone: 0300 029 8888
Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm

Also, just thinking, what was the link you used to check/pay for the charge? could it have been a spam site impersonating and collecting charges fraudulently?

 

[DM]

Also, just thinking, what was the link you used to check/pay for the charge? could it have been a spam site impersonating and collecting charges fraudulently?

Is there nothing the scammers won’t try? It’s always necessary to double check.

Not the case this time though - I navigated from www.gov.uk .

 

[DM]

It does say that if you think their site is wrong to contact them.

I spoke to a very polite adviser who confirmed that I shouldn’t have to pay ( because my Cali has a Euro-6 engine) but their computer doesn’t know that so I do!

When I pointed out that that doesn’t really seem fair she agreed to refer my case to the ‘relevant department’. I have been promised a callback within 2 days. Let’s see.

My prediction is that I will get a call but that they will have no idea how to fix what is either a bug or a process failure in their systems. (I don’t believe it is a fundamental DVLA database error as TfL knows my Cali is Euro-6.

 

[Vagophile]

I presume that some thought has been given to the extent of the Zone, but looking at the map, it appears that the main parking area is slap in the middle of it. Also, it doesn't appear to be possible to easily navigate around it. Bath doesn't worry me too much, but Birmingham does and there will be others.

 

[DM]

I'd be interested to hear their response.

Well I find myself actually being quite impressed with the DVLA. Within 3 hours of my call I received both a call-back from the original advisor assuring me it was being dealt with and then an email confirming it has been. No explanation as to why it was wrong in the first place but I didn't have to provide any further information or evidence and it is now correct - no charge .

 

[Bjohnson]

As a Bath resident and Cali owner the £9 charge does apply. Several months ago I checked my Cali via the gov website and it was exempt, checked last week and it’s not any more!
Was a recent article in the local media from a resident who owns a t5 conversion who was stung for a few hundred in fines!

 

[Bigted]

Hi as a Cali is registered as M1 (ie car) in log book, then it should surly be treated as such. A lot of conversions are N1 on the V5 so vans

 

[DM]

They acknowledged mine was an error but didn't say why. I think it should be on 2 counts - private car and Euro-6.

 

[andrew bazeley]

Has anyone taken their Cali into Bath since the clean air zone was introduced? The website wants to charge me £9 even though I should be exempt on 2 counts.
1. It is not a goods vehicle, van, taxi or minibus.
2. It has a Euro 6 engine.
As far as I am aware the vehicle is correct on the DVLA database. TfL certainly knows it is a Euro 6 as I don’t have to lay the ultra low emission zone charge in London.

I guess I will have to pay up and try to claim a refund. I need to get it sorted as more such zones are on the way.

Bloody crazy! I live near Bath, and my old Cali is my main vehicle. I'll be charged £9, but my neighbour with a hugely- envorinmentally-evil Land Rover SUV is OK. I don't get it.

 

[Zhorod]

I live in Bath and have a 2012 Cali 140. I can live without going through the CAZ but it is a pain. There are exemptions for Motor Caravans that have M1 as the vehicle category. Not if it is blank, and mine is blank. I thought my Cali was based on an M1 Type Approval vehicle. I'm trying to get hold of a certificate of conformity from VW to show this. If I can DVLA will update V5 and I can get an exemption. Does anybody have M1 on their V5 for a similar age Cali?

 

[Louis II]

I live in Bath and have a 2012 Cali 140. I can live without going through the CAZ but it is a pain. There are exemptions for Motor Caravans that have M1 as the vehicle category. Not if it is blank, and mine is blank. I thought my Cali was based on an M1 Type Approval vehicle. I'm trying to get hold of a certificate of conformity from VW to show this. If I can DVLA will update V5 and I can get an exemption. Does anybody have M1 on their V5 for a similar age Cali?

Mine is 2015 so same vehicle and has M1 on the V5. I have the exemption but still got a letter + fine which I am in the process of appealing.

 

[andrew bazeley]

I live near Bath too, and have a 2008 Cali. I've managed to avoid driving into Bath, but I've just checked my original documents, and it definitely classes it as M1. I'll be interested to hear the result of your appeal, Louis ll.

 

[Zhorod]

I live near Bath too, and have a 2008 Cali. I've managed to avoid driving into Bath, but I've just checked my original documents, and it definitely classes it as M1. I'll be interested to hear the result of your appeal, Louis ll.

If your v5 says motor caravan and M1 you should be able to get an exemption.

Get an exemption or discount in Bath’s Clean Air Zone | Bath and North East Somerset Council

National and local exemptions are available to support vital services and owners of hard-to-replace vehicles.

beta.bathnes.gov.uk

I'm also avoiding driving into bath, but it is a pain if I want to go south as I live north.

 

[Zhorod]

Mine is 2015 so same vehicle and has M1 on the V5. I have the exemption but still got a letter + fine which I am in the process of appealing.

That's annoying. Hopefully just an admin error. Do let us know.

Seems as though I should be able to get exemption if I can prove it is M1.

 

[Alan Andrews]

I have just checked with the gov.uk website.

2 screens appeared....

1. Vehicle Details. 2017 Ocean 150 TDI. Listed as CAZ Vehicle Type.... VAN

2. Confirmed No Charge for Bath/Birmingham/ and Portsmouth (due end 2021)


So I can rest now.

 

[andrew bazeley]

Breakthrough!!!

I contacted the Bath Clean Air Zone, and they've now agreed that they are going to review M1-classified motorhomes - to permit them into the city (or - more importantly - on the busy A4 road which passes around the edge of the town on the way to Bristol and The West)!

Won't happen until October - but HEY!!!

 

[Paulro]

Hi Andrew, result. You’ll probably know Bristol has deferred its zone but it’s coming. For non compliant vehicles it’s not possible to get from the Portway to the ring Rd without paying £9. Those vehicles either have to use J17 on M5 or come through Clifton and over suspension bridge.

 

[Zhorod]

Breakthrough!!!

I contacted the Bath Clean Air Zone, and they've now agreed that they are going to review M1-classified motorhomes - to permit them into the city (or - more importantly - on the busy A4 road which passes around the edge of the town on the way to Bristol and The West)!

Won't happen until October - but HEY!!!

Hi,

According to the website motor caravans classified as M1 are currently exempt:

M1 Motorcaravans​

This exemption applies to any motorcaravan with vehicle category ‘M1’ on a V5 certificate. The exemption does not apply to vehicles - motorcaravan or otherwise - in any other vehicle category or where the vehicle category is blank on a V5C.

Once registered with the council, you do not need to do anything else to activate your exemption. The exemption lasts for 4 years, but you will need to renew your details with us each year.