Drivers will be charged £8 a DAY just to get to work under new Clean Air Zone plans – could you be affected?

A DRIVER has pleaded for an extended Clean Air Zone exemption as the new £8 daily charge could cripple his business.

Sina Zamaly, a café owner from Birmingham, slammed The Government for its “unfair” road charges, which are set to be introduced on May 31.

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Grand Central Kitchen owner Sina Zamaly said the Clean Air Zone charges were unfair[/caption]

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His business is in Birmingham, one of the many UK cities that falls under the scheme[/caption]

Sina owns Grand Central Kitchen on New Street and has to commute by car to work every day.

However, he has owned the same “workhorse” diesel BMW 1 Series car since 2013 – which now doesn’t comply with the Clean Air Zone stipulations.

Running errands and collecting supplies as a business owner will now cost him £8 a day.

Faced with the added costs, he either has three months to buy a new vehicle or coughs up for every journey he makes in the Zone.

Sina said it was huge blow.

He told Birmingham Mail: “I cannot afford to do this right now, it is very stressful.

“Since the pandemic it has been very hard and I am still repaying loans and other costs incurred then.

“My electricity bill now is £3,000 to £4,000 a month… getting a new car is the last thing on my mind.”

However, Sina is not alone – more than 2,300 residents currently have exemptions to CAZ charges that expire on May 31.

They were all given the two year exemption to allow for time to change up their existing vehicle to a compliant one.

The aggrieved man said he hoped to persuade the council to grant him a further extension until his current energy costs and loan repayments ended.

If not, Sina will be forced to trade up, which he cannot justify.

He said: “If I cannot afford to get another car, I could be liable to more than £200 a month in charges, which is crazy.

“I have looked after the car to keep it running, it is perfectly fine for what I need it for, including collecting supplies and equipment but now it has to go.

“I think it is very unfair.”

According to Brumbreathe, financial incentives offered to residents elsewhere in the city, including a £2,000 scrappage fee towards a new car from Motorpoint or a £2,000 travel credit to use on public transport do not apply to those living inside the CAZ.

Other areas including Sheffield and Yorkshire will also see motorists cough up a tenner each time they drive within the city’s CAZ zones.

PA