Clean Air Zone, class B
Portsmouth Clean Air Zone
Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles and heavy goods vehicles. Cars and vans are outside it.
Local detail
What is specific to Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the only class B zone in England, live since 29 November 2021, and it exists to bring two roads into compliance: the A3 Alfred Road and Mile End Road on the route in from the M275. Vans are not charged, which makes it the cheapest zone in the country for a tradesperson with an older Transit and the most surprising for a coach operator, because coaches and buses pay £50. You also get six days to pay the daily charge, so a driver who realises late can still avoid a penalty.
6 vehicle types
What each vehicle pays
| Vehicle | Daily charge | Standard that avoids it |
|---|---|---|
| Private car | Not charged | No standard is published for this row |
| Motorcycle | Not charged | No standard is published for this row |
| Van or light goods vehicle | Not charged | No standard is published for this row |
| Taxi or private hire vehicle | £10 | Euro 4 (petrol) or Euro 6 (diesel) |
| Bus or coach | £50 | Euro VI |
| Heavy goods vehicle | £50 | Euro VI |
One daily charge covers however many times you enter and leave in the same day. It does not cover any other scheme that overlaps the same streets.
What the vehicle has to meet
Emissions standards
- Taxis and private hire vehicles: Euro 4 for petrol, Euro 6 for diesel.
- Buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles: Euro VI for diesel, Euro 4 for petrol.
- Private cars, motorcycles and vans are outside the scheme entirely. This is what makes it a class B rather than a class C.
The Euro standard is recorded on the vehicle's type approval rather than worked out from its age, so a car built in the year a standard came in can fall either side of it. Check the registration date on the V5C against the operator's own vehicle checker before relying on either.
Where and when
Boundary and hours
- Boundary
- The south western part of the city. The zone was drawn to fix two specific stretches of road, the A3 Alfred Road and the A3 Mile End Road and Commercial Road, on the way in from the M275.
- Hours of operation
- 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- Enforcement since
- 29 November 2021
3 exemptions and discounts
Who does not pay
- Private cars, motorcycles and vans, whatever their age.
- Fully electric and hydrogen vehicles.
- Council exemptions, applied for through the Portsmouth City Council forms.
Most of these have to be applied for, and several are time limited. An exemption you have not registered is not an exemption the cameras know about.
If you do not pay
Penalty charge
£60 if you pay within 14 days, rising to £120 after that. You can challenge a notice within 28 days. There is also a six day window to pay the daily charge before a notice is issued at all.
Questions about this zone
Does a car pay in the Portsmouth Clean Air Zone?
No. A private car is never charged in this zone, however old it is, unless it is licensed as a taxi or private hire vehicle. Other vehicle types are charged from £10 a day, so check the charge table for the exact type.
When does the zone operate?
24 hours a day, every day of the year. Enforcement started on 29 November 2021, and those hours have applied since, unless the operator has published a change.
Where does the zone start and end?
The south western part of the city. The zone was drawn to fix two specific stretches of road, the A3 Alfred Road and the A3 Mile End Road and Commercial Road, on the way in from the M275. The cameras belong to the operator, so treat that description as the route to plan around rather than a guess at where enforcement begins.
What is the penalty if I do not pay?
£60 if you pay within 14 days, rising to £120 after that. You can challenge a notice within 28 days. There is also a six day window to pay the daily charge before a notice is issued at all.
Who is exempt?
3 exemptions and discounts are published for this zone, including: Private cars, motorcycles and vans, whatever their age; Fully electric and hydrogen vehicles; Council exemptions, applied for through the Portsmouth City Council forms. Most have to be applied for in advance, so read the full list before you travel.