New service to help firms beat Clean Air Zone charges in Sheffield

By David Walsh
Published 8th Jan 2023, 00:03 BST
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A bike delivery service is gearing up for expansion due to Sheffield’s Clean Air Zone - which is predicted to raise £23,000 every day.

Russell Cutts has set up a depot on Burton Road, Neepsend, where people can drop off goods destined for the city centre and avoid charges of £10-a-day for certain vans and £50 for buses and lorries. The zone launches on February 27. The boundary follows the inner ring road and even driving on it will be chargeable. It is predicted to earn Sheffield City Council more than £8m-a-year.

Russell claims his ecargo bikes are cheaper than a vehicle and quicker within a two-mile radius - as well as being zero emissions. And he is expecting a rush when the first CAZ charges start to land.

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He added: “All the firms in the city centre are going to have think about how they have deliveries when the CAZ comes in. We’re going up against big logistics firms but we don’t have the costs associated with drivers, fuel, parking, fines and charges and we are door-to-door. So we’re quicker over two miles and maybe even three.”

Russell Cutts has set up a depot on Burton Road, Neepsend, for goods destined for the city centre.Russell Cutts has set up a depot on Burton Road, Neepsend, for goods destined for the city centre.
Russell Cutts has set up a depot on Burton Road, Neepsend, for goods destined for the city centre.

The aim is to create a network of regular routes and collect as well as deliver, he added. Russells’ Bicycle Shed cargo service already has customers including Citizens’ Advice Sheffield.

The city council has been given up to £28.3m to help firms and taxi drivers upgrade or buy new vehicles. In November, Greens leader, councillor Douglas Johnson, said the predicted income of £8.46m-a-year was ‘not a target’ and the predicted number of daily charges was a 'small proportion' of vehicles using city centre roads, which he expected to reduce over time.

Air pollution contributes to 500 deaths a year in Sheffield and causes strokes, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease, he added.

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Up to nine UK cities are set to have clean air zones this year. Tyneside is set to launch on January 30, followed by Sheffield on February 27. Greater Manchester is planning one in 2023 but has yet to agree a date. London has low and ultra low emission zones. Five other cities have introduced clean air zones: Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol and Portsmouth, according to road safety experts at Road Angel.