The growth of Clean Air Zones (CAZ) across the UK means more van drivers are being affected by access fees and penalty charges.
New research, by the automotive manufacturing company Peugeot, has revealed that van drivers pay an average of £780 each year, equivalent to £65 per month, for driving into Low Emissions Zones (LEZ) and CAZ.
Drivers based in London face the highest costs, spending an average of £99 per month, or £1,188 every year, followed by those who drive in the Tyneside CAZ, which covers both Newcastle and Gateshead, costing around £82 per month or £984 annually. Notably, the London and Tyneside CAZs both charge £12.50 per day, compared to the £8 to £10 daily charge applied in other zones across the UK.
There are now 14 different LEZ, CAZ or Zero Emission Zones across the UK, nine of which charge non-compliant petrol and diesel vehicles an entry fee, with penalty charge notices issued to drivers who fail to pay.
In Wales, which does not operate any CAZs, van drivers pay the lowest average at just £37 per month.
Scotland has LEZ in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen, but van drivers only pay a monthly average of £39 due to the fact that Scotland does not charge daily access fees - instead banning non-compliant vehicles and issuing fines to any that enter the four LEZ.
A Freedom of Information request by Peugeot uncovered that the 13 CAZ and LEZ across the UK have generated nearly £1.5 billion in revenue. Since the London ULEZ and LEZ areas were expanded in 2023, they alone have amassed around £1.2 billion.
Payments by van drivers for CAZs and LEZs now exceed the average of £632 spent each on parking and the £715 accrued on servicing and maintenance each year. Only fuel was a bigger expense for van drivers, costing an average of £176 per month, or £2,112 annually.
Steve Wass, managing director of Peugeot UK, said that the costs of running a non-complaint van prove that now is the time to switch to more sustainable modes of transportation.