..CAZ
CRISIS...CAZ CRISIS...
WE ARE GETTING NO HELP AT ALL: SOUTH TYNESIDE CABBIES’ ANGER OVER NEWCASTLE CAZ
Cabbies in South Tyneside have complained that they “can’t afford” to journey into Newcastle after being excluded from financial help from the new Clean Air Zone. The new city centre charging zone has been in operation for more than a month, with older taxis that do not meet CAZ standards facing daily £12.50 fees to come into or through Newcastle city centre. But while drivers licensed in Newcastle, Gateshead, and North Tyneside have been offered the chance to apply for grants to help upgrade to a cleaner vehicle and to get a discounted £50-a-week charge instead, there is no such support for taxi companies outside those three areas. This is a major source of frustration for drivers in places such as
South Shields,
Jarrow, and Hebburn, who are finding it far more costly to take passengers into the city. Del Thoburn, owner of South Shields-based Del’s Taxis, said: “We are getting no help at all and I am taking the hit because I don’t want to pass the cost on to customers. “There’s no help with the CAZ if you don’t live in Newcastle, Gateshead, or North Tyneside. We should be treated the same as them.” Council bosses in charge of the CAZ say they only have “limited” funding from the Government and have had to target the financial support at people likely to be most heavily affected by the new restrictions – but have not ruled out widening their offers to other areas in future. After concerns about the impact on South Tyneside were raised at the North East Joint Transport
PHTM APRIL 2023
been dealt with and subject to funding availability, we will look at inviting grant applications from other areas. Meanwhile, more
than 1,600
Committee recently, a spokes- person for South Tyneside Taxis Ltd said: “We have drivers here who don’t want to
take jobs in
Newcastle now. They can’t afford to pay £12.50 and you can’t charge the customer for it because, at the end of the day, they just won’t want to go to Newcastle if it costs them £12.50 extra. “If you’re picking them up around midnight, it can be £25 extra because it goes over two days. To me, it’s all wrong and it’s going to have an impact on the centre of Newcastle. The other boroughs are getting help, but we aren’t.” A spokesperson for the Newcastle and Gateshead CAZ said: “The funding for financial support for those affected by CAZ charges is provided by government and it is limited. We are therefore targeting this funding towards those who are more likely to be affected – in particular those who have no choice but to operate in the zone and those who are more likely to make regular journeys into it. “This is aimed at ensuring support is given to those who need it most but, once these applications have
drivers were fined for not paying Newcastle’s CAZ charge in its first month of operation. Council officials have confirmed that 1,658 motorists were hit with PCNs for bringing a non-compliant vehicle into the CAZ without paying the toll from its launch on January 30 until 28 February. Newcastle City Council said that there were
1,476 journeys
successfully paid for in the first month of the CAZ – fewer than the number of fines issued. The amount of income generated by the CAZ in its first month was £54,327.50 – made up of £41,975 in toll payments, £7,402.50 in paid PCN fines, and £4,950 from discounted seven-day passes for taxi and private hire drivers. However, transport bosses have warned that the figures come with a number of crucial caveats, which mean there are likely to be major changes that could see more vehicles charged and heavier fines levied over the coming months. For example, many vehicles are currently subject to temporary exemptions from the CAZ tolls while drivers await the outcome of applications to receive upgrade grants. Motorists issued with fines for the non-payment of the CAZ toll are also currently being offered a reprieve – with the chance to only pay the original CAZ charge, rather than the full PCN amount of up to £120 on top.
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