…if you are a taxi driver.
Some Hackney Carriages and private hire vehicles have been required to pay to enter the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) since 30 January 2023.
On this page you will find information about:
Which vehicles are affected and how to check whether you will be charged;
How much the CAZ charge is and how to pay;
A local discount scheme for drivers registered in Newcastle, Gateshead or North Tyneside.
Which vehicles are affected and how to check whether you will be charged
The Clean Air Zone affects certain taxis and private hire vehicles driving into Newcastle city centre as well as those using routes over the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges.
Charges only apply to older vehicles that don’t meet Clean Air Zone emissions standards, so it’s important that you check to see whether you would be affected.
To meet minimum emissions standards your vehicle must have a Euro 6 diesel or a Euro 4 petrol engine. In general, this will be diesel vehicles registered after September 2015 and petrol vehicles registered after 2005.
You can check whether your vehicle would be charged to enter the CAZ using the government’s online vehicle checker.
How much the CAZ charge is and how to pay.
The charge for taxis and private hire vehicles that do not meet the minimum emissions standard is £12.50 per day.
If you need to make a payment you must do so within six days of our journey.
To pay the charge you will need to go to the national payment system that has been set up by the government. For details see our How to Pay page.
A local discount scheme for drivers registered in Newcastle, Gateshead or North Tyneside
If you are affected by the CAZ charge, and your taxi or private hire vehicle is licensed in Newcastle, Gateshead or North Tyneside, you may be eligible to apply for a local discount licence.
This allows entry into the CAZ over a consecutive seven-day period at a cost of £50 rather than the standard charge of £12.50 per day.
This is only available for taxis and private hire vehicles that are registered with Newcastle, Gateshead or North Tyneside. Non-compliant vehicles licenced outside these areas will need to pay the regular £12.50 charge.
To apply for a seven-day taxi discount licence, you will need to create an online account.
To register, enter your email address, create a password and provide your contact information including your name, address and telephone number.
You’ll be sent a verification email that will include a link to activate your account.
After you have verified your account and logged in using your email and password you will need to click on ‘Apply for a Permit’.
Then select the seven-day period the discount licence is for. You can apply for the permit six days prior to entering the CAZ, on the day you enter the CAZ or one day after entering the CAZ.
You’ll be asked to confirm that you are a registered taxi driver for Newcastle, Gateshead or North Tyneside by providing the taxi vehicle registration, taxi licence number and expiry date.
Payment for the licence can be made as soon as you complete the application form. Once payment is made the seven-day licence will begin from your chosen start date, a receipt and confirmation notice will be sent to you by email.
Whilst you cannot renew the licence you can reapply for additional licences as and when required by accessing your online account.
If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the CAZ helpdesk on 0191 278 2711 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 4pm) and a paper application will be posted to you.