Driving in
Driving in Bradford
Checked on 30 June 2025.Office for National Statistics, Population estimates, local authority based by single year of age (mid-2025) (as of 30 June 2025)
The Bradford Clean Air Zone
Exempt
2004 petrol car: Bradford Clean Air Zone does not charge cars, whatever they are registered as. The charge here applies to hackney carriage or private hire vehicle, van, light goods vehicle or minibus, campervan or motorhome up to 3.5 tonnes, campervan or motorhome over 3.5 tonnes and bus, coach or hgv.
Exempt
2012 diesel car: Bradford Clean Air Zone does not charge cars, whatever they are registered as. The charge here applies to hackney carriage or private hire vehicle, van, light goods vehicle or minibus, campervan or motorhome up to 3.5 tonnes, campervan or motorhome over 3.5 tonnes and bus, coach or hgv.
Exempt
2018 diesel car: Bradford Clean Air Zone does not charge cars, whatever they are registered as. The charge here applies to hackney carriage or private hire vehicle, van, light goods vehicle or minibus, campervan or motorhome up to 3.5 tonnes, campervan or motorhome over 3.5 tonnes and bus, coach or hgv.
| Operated by | City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council |
| In force since | 26 September 2022 |
| Hours | 24 hours a day, every day of the year. |
| Area | Everything inside and including the Bradford outer ring road, then out along the Aire valley corridor through Manningham Lane, Bradford Road and the Canal Road area to take in Shipley and Saltaire. |
| Penalty for non payment | £120, reduced to £60 if you pay within 14 days, plus the daily charge of £7, £9 or £50 depending on the vehicle. If nothing is paid or challenged within 28 days a charge certificate raises the penalty by half, to £180. |
Bradford's zone opened on 26 September 2022 and is unusually large for a class C. It takes in everything inside the outer ring road, then follows the Aire valley up to Shipley and Saltaire, so a driver heading for Salts Mill is inside the zone without ever reaching the city centre. Bradford is also the only zone where a taxi pays less than a van, £7 against £9, so a private hire driver and a builder with the same engine face different bills.
What is different about driving in Bradford?
Bradford is covered by the Bradford Clean Air Zone, so an older car pays a daily charge that the same car would not pay in most of the country. Vehicle tax, fuel duty and speeding penalties are national and identical everywhere.
Local figures for Bradford
- At 9.35 square miles, Bradford has the largest clean air zone in England, more than ten times the area of Sheffield's. It is a class C scheme, so private cars are not charged but vans, taxis, private hire vehicles and lorries can be.
- Because the zone is that wide, much of the built-up district sits inside it rather than the tight city centre box used in the other English zone cities.
- 27.6% of Bradford households had no car or van at the 2021 census, against 23.5% across England.
- About 232,400 licensed cars were recorded in the district at the end of March 2026, and there were 550 public chargers at 1 April 2026.
The numbers behind those lines
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Vehicle fleet | At 9.35 square miles, Bradford has the largest clean air zone in England, more than ten times the area of Sheffield's. It is a class C scheme, so private cars are not charged but vans, taxis, private hire vehicles and lorries can be. |
| Public charging | At 9.35 square miles, Bradford has the largest clean air zone in England, more than ten times the area of Sheffield's. It is a class C scheme, so private cars are not charged but vans, taxis, private hire vehicles and lorries can be. |
| Car ownership | 27.6% of Bradford households had no car or van at the 2021 census, against 23.5% across England. |
Common questions
- Is there a clean air zone in Bradford?
- Yes. Bradford is covered by the Bradford Clean Air Zone, run by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, in force since 26 September 2022. It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year..
- What does a car pay to drive in Bradford?
- Bradford Clean Air Zone does not charge cars, whatever they are registered as. The charge here applies to hackney carriage or private hire vehicle, van, light goods vehicle or minibus, campervan or motorhome up to 3.5 tonnes, campervan or motorhome over 3.5 tonnes and bus, coach or hgv.
- How many public chargers are there in Bradford?
- At 9.35 square miles, Bradford has the largest clean air zone in England, more than ten times the area of Sheffield's. It is a class C scheme, so private cars are not charged but vans, taxis, private hire vehicles and lorries can be.
- Are motoring rules different in England?
- Vehicle tax, speeding penalties and licensing are set nationally, so they are the same everywhere in Great Britain. What varies locally is whether a charging zone applies and what it costs.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics, Population estimates, local authority based by single year of age (mid-2025) (as of 30 June 2025)
- Office for National Statistics, Population estimates for England and Wales: mid-2025 (as of 29 July 2026)
- Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, TS045 car or van availability (as of 21 March 2021)
- Department for Transport, Vehicle licensing statistics, table VEH0105 (2026 Q1) (as of 31 March 2026)
- Department for Transport, Electric vehicle charging infrastructure statistics, table EVCI0102 (as of 1 April 2026)
- GOV.UK, Driving in a clean air zone (as of 30 July 2026)
- City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, List of daily charges (as of 26 September 2022)
- City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Where is the Clean Air Zone? (as of 26 September 2022)
- City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, What will happen if I do not pay (as of 30 July 2026)
- GOV.UK, Clean Air Zones (as of 12 February 2026)