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Birmingham City Council fines itself £472,000 for Clean Air Zone breaches
Council data show 3,262 charges and fines since 2021, while officials say 142 fleet vehicles still do not meet emissions standards.
Birmingham City Council has paid more than £470,000 to itself in daily charges and fines after its own vehicles breached rules of the city's Clean Air Zone.
The council admitted 142, or 12%, of its 1,170 vehicles remained non-compliant as of March 31, noting a "large number of these vehicles were minibuses related to social services and education provision."
This spending is around 20 times higher than other UK councils, drawing criticism from Kings Heath Food Bank, which said charges caused a decline in volunteer drivers helping residents.
To address these breaches, the council established a central Vehicle Management Service to "fast-track transition to a modernised, low emission fleet," while developing "eco driving across the fleet."
Before the Clean Air Zone was introduced, the council reported air pollution was responsible for shortening the lives of about 900 people per year, illustrating the policy's primary health objective.