Bath’s Clear Air Zone will see commercial vehicles which don’t meet required emission standards pay a daily charge to drive in the city, starting from midnight tonight.

The introduction of Bath’s Class C Charging Clean Air Zone means drivers of most pre-euro 6 diesel and pre-euro 4 petrol vehicles will have to pay to drive in the city.

Higher emission buses, coaches, HGVs and motorhomes will pay £100 a day, while higher emission minibuses, taxis, private hire vehicles, LGVs and vans will pay £9 a day.

Charges apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Private car and motorbike owners will not be charged.

Businesses and individuals can check whether they will need to pay a charge to drive in a clean air zone using Gov.UK’s vehicle checker at www.gov.uk/check-clean-air-zone-charge.

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Unlike London’s congestion charge, autopay will not be available in Bath’s clean air zone. This means that owners of non-compliant vehicles will need to carefully manage payments if they are not planning to upgrade or reorganize fleets.

Drivers of non-compliant vehicles need to declare their journey and pay online at Gov.UK’s ‘Drive in a clean air zone’ service within a 13-day payment window.

Payment can be made up to six days in advance, on the day the vehicle is driven in the zone, or in the six days after. No reminders are sent.

It’s up to the driver or business account user to pay the daily charge within the payment window using a debit or credit card or saved bank details.

Automatic number plate recognition cameras are installed on all roads leading into the zone, and vehicle number plates will be checked against a DVLA database.

Failing to pay the charge or log an exempt journey within the payment window, will result in a £120 fine. If you pay the fine within 14 days, you’ll only have to pay a discounted rate of £60. But if you fail to pay the fine within 28 days, it could be increased to £180.