What you need to know
It's a daily charge. You can drive in and out multiple times per day, for one single payment.
From £10 a day
From £10 a dayFor taxis and private hire vehicles that don't meet the emission standards. HGVs, buses and coaches pay £50.
£120 fine
£120 fineYou pay it on top of the daily charge. It's reduced to £60 if you pay the fine within 14 days.
Exemptions
ExemptionsPrivate cars, motorcycles and vans don't pay. Ultra low emission, historic, military and disabled tax class vehicles are exempt automatically, while some others can apply to Portsmouth City Council.
The government named Portsmouth City Council as one of over 60 authorities with excessively high air pollution.
To tackle this, the most polluting vehicles pay a daily charge to drive in the zone. In Portsmouth, that means HGVs, buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles that:
- Don't meet Euro 6 emission standards (so are Euro 5 or older) if they're diesel
- Don't meet Euro 4 emission standards (so are Euro 3 or older) if they're petrol
Private cars, motorcycles and vans don't pay to drive in the zone.
Exemptions
You're exempt automatically, with nothing to pay, if you have:
- An ultra low emission vehicle
- A disabled passenger tax class vehicle
- A disabled tax class vehicle
- A military vehicle
- A vehicle retrofitted with technology accredited by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS)
- A historic vehicle
- Certain types of agricultural vehicle
Other vehicles need to apply for an exemption on the Portsmouth City Council website:
- Emergency vehicles: exempt for life
- Specialist vehicles: exempt for life
- Recovery vehicles: exempt for life
- Emergency rail or bus replacement buses and coaches: exempt when needed at short notice
- Horse transporters: 10 trips a year at no charge
- Non-commercial vintage buses: 10 trips a year at no charge
Portsmouth CAZ FAQs
How much is the Portsmouth CAZ?
Private hire vehicles and taxis need to pay £10 per day. HGVs, coaches and buses need to pay £50 per day.
Charges apply daily, so you only pay once however many times you enter and leave the zone that day. If you drive in the zone across two days, for example before and after midnight, you'll need to pay two daily charges.
What is the Portsmouth Clean Air Zone (CAZ)?
The Portsmouth Clean Air Zone is an area in the south west of Portsmouth where certain non-compliant vehicles are required to pay a charge. This is part of a larger national scheme to reduce air pollution in cities in the UK. You can read more about the Portsmouth CAZ on our Portsmouth CAZ page.
Are there any discounts or exemptions?
There are quite a few exemptions to the charge. You can find a list of all the categories exempt from the charge on our Portsmouth CAZ page. Please note that some exemptions need to be applied for. If you think you are eligible for an exemption, please apply through the Portsmouth City Council website.
What happens if I pay for the wrong day?
If you’ve paid for the wrong day, unfortunately we aren’t able to offer you a refund. Caura doesn’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made, it goes straight to the end provider. We’re unable to recover funds so we aren’t able to offer a refund.
Where is the Portsmouth CAZ?
The zone is about 3 sq km in the south west of Portsmouth. It includes the car ferry port to the Isle of Wight and the north zone of the University of Portsmouth.
It reaches Kingston Crescent in the north, runs down to Winston Churchill Avenue in the south and is bordered by Portsmouth Harbour to the west.
As you drive towards the south west of the city, you'll see CAZ signs. They show the letter B for the zone's class.
Will I get fined if I don’t pay the Portsmouth CAZ?
If you forget to pay the fee, you’ll get a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) in the post for a £120 fine. This is reduced to £60 if you pay it within 14 days. The Penalty Charge is payable in addition to the Clean Air Zone daily charge dependent on your vehicle type.
More from Caura
The other charges, tolls and car admin you can sort in the Caura app.
