Affected vehicles

Which vehicles are affected?

The Newcastle and Gateshead Clean Air Zone is a category C CAZ, which means that not all vehicles are affected.

Only non-compliant taxis, including private hire vehicles, vans, minibuses, buses, coaches and HGVs are affected. To find out whether you would be charged to drive in the CAZ you can check your vehicle using the government’s online vehicle checker.

Enter your registration number at www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones.

Private cars, motorbikes and lower emissions vehicles, including hybrid and electric vehicles, are not affected and will not be charged to enter the Newcastle and Gateshead Clean Air Zone.

The table below gives an indication of the emissions standards required for each vehicle type.

Why are you targeting these particular vehicles and not cars?

The government has set out the four different types of Clean Air Zone that can be created and these guidelines mean that it isn’t possible to have a CAZ that only targets private cars.

The table below shows which vehicles are included in each category. The CAZ in Newcastle and Gateshead will be a category C CAZ.

Private cars can only be added to a Clean Air Zone once the other categories of vehicle have been included.

In our case, the Clean Air Zone we are introducing does not include private cars because modelling information of future pollution levels shows that we can achieve compliance with the legal limits without having to take this additional step, which helps to reduce the regional economic impact of the CAZ.

Consultation feedback on proposals to include private cars in the original plans included many concerns about the financial impact this would have on individuals, particularly those on lower incomes.

We know these concerns also apply to many taxi drivers and small businesses that are still affected by the CAZ and we will be providing financial help, including grants towards the cost of vehicle upgrades, as well as other support.

Will caravans and motorhomes be charged?

Motor caravans and motor homes will be charged if they are non-compliant vehicles, however, owners may apply for exemption to the CAZ charge. 

Will horse boxes be charged?

Horse boxes will be charged to enter the CAZ if they are non-compliant and owners will not be eligible to apply for an exemption in the case of these vehicles.

How can I check my vehicle?

You can check whether your vehicle will be charged to enter the zone using the government’s online vehicle checker.

To use the vehicle checker just go to www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones and enter your registration number.

Not all vehicles will be charged to enter the zone and it’s important to check to see whether you will be affected.