UK motorists face £12 million in monthly clean air and low emission zone penalties
- Over £627 million has been generated by Clean Air Zones (CAZ) and Low Emission Zones (LEZ) in the UK
- On average 200,000 fines are issued to motorists driving through these zones each month
- Almost 8 million penalty charge notices (PCNs) have been issued in London since 2019
- On average, UK cities have seen a 39% decrease in penalty charge notices since their introduction
Clean Air Zones (CAZ) and Low Emission Zones (LEZ) are designed to improve air quality, by charging drivers of high-polluting vehicles that enter into a specific area. London was the first city to introduce one of these zones, with a number of other cities following suit in recent years.
With this in mind, taxi insurance specialists ChoiceQuote aimed to determine the number of vehicles fined since the introduction of clean air and low emission zones, how much each council has fined drivers in this period and whether these zones are effectively deterring high-pollution vehicles from the area or motivating people to invest in low emission vehicles.
In total, over 11 million Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) have been issued by councils since their introduction of clean air and low emission zones. However on average, the number of PCN issued has decreased by 39% since their introduction which is encouraging to see.
The study analysed Freedom of Information data from Transport for London and local councils across the UK to identify which areas have issued the most fines and which have experienced the largest decreases in PCN since the introduction of the zones.
How many penalty charge notices have been issued by UK councils?
| City | Total PCN | Total £ | Avg Monthly PCNs | Avg Monthly £ |
| Aberdeen | 33,850 | £5,015,160 | 2,821 | £417,930 |
| Birmingham | 2,196,729 | £100,766,280 | 47,755 | £2,190,571 |
| Bristol | 1,045,013 | £125,401,560 | 37,322 | £4,478,627 |
| Dundee | 16,696 | £2,282,340 | 1,284 | £175,565 |
| Edinburgh | 51,015 | £5,261,520 | 3,924 | £404,732 |
| Glasgow | 72,100 | £7,267,800 | 3,005 | £302,825 |
| London | 7,814,614 | £386,293,224 | 108,536 | £5,365,184 |
Over £627 million has been generated by clean air and low emission zones throughout the UK, with almost 200,000 PCNs given out per month on average, amounting to over 11 million since the zones first began.
London launched its Ultra Low Emission Zone in 2019, initially covering inner London, before, expanding to cover all 32 boroughs by 2023[1]. In its five years of operation the capital has received over £386 million in fines during this period, with over 108,000 penalty charge notices being issued each month to drivers.
Birmingham introduced its clean air zone in June 2021 and over a 48 month period, drivers in the city have received over 2 million fines, averaging out at nearly 48,000 per month. This equates to fines of over £100 million, or nearly £2.2 million per month.
Bristol Introduced its clean air zone in 2022 and has issued fines totalling over £125 million, or an average of £3.2 million per month. Despite receiving fewer fines overall, Bristol drivers pay £1.2 million more on average per month than drivers in Birmingham. This suggests a significant presence of repeat offenders in Bristol, which raises the average fine amount from £60 to up to £960.
Which cities have seen the biggest decrease in penalty charge notices?
| City | % decrease in PCNs |
| Dundee* | 52% |
| Edinburgh* | 48% |
| Aberdeen* | 35% |
| Glasgow** | 35% |
| Birmingham** | 33% |
| Bristol** | 28% |
(London data excluded due to expansion of ULEZ in 2021 and 2023 inflating figures)
* % decrease since the introduction of CAZ and LEZs **Yearly average decreases in number of PCNs
On average, there has been a 39% drop in the number of PCNs handed out to motorists, as more drivers either avoid clean air and low emission zones entirely, or upgrade to compliant vehicles.
Since Dundee implemented its low emission zone in June 2024, the city has experienced a 52% reduction in PCNs. In June 2024, 2,117 charges were issued, with this number dropping to 1,014 by June 2025.
While the number of PCNs issued has decreased by over half, the amount fined has increased by £31,320 to £167,160 in June 2025. This is due to an increasing number of drivers being charged a higher fine for driving through the zone multiple times.
Edinburgh has experienced the second most significant decrease in PCNs. The Scottish capital issued 6,039 fines issued in June 2024, compared to just 3,157 in June 2025.
Aberdeen has seen a 35% reduction in PCNs issued since June 2024. Initially, 3,751 fines were issued in June 2024, but by May 2025, this number had decreased to 2,437. Notably, in May 2025, only 1,727 vehicles were caught driving through low emission zones for the first time, compared to 3,387 vehicles in June 2024.
However, 262 vehicles received their fifth fine within a 12-month period, resulting in a fine of £960, significantly higher than the £60 penalty for a first-time offence.
Phil Leese, Taxi and Specialist Motor Trading Manager at insurance broker ChoiceQuote, comments: “It’s positive to see that the introduction of low emission and clean air zones within UK cities is working in minimising the amount of high polluting vehicles travelling through congested areas.
“In some areas the number of fines issued has reduced by half! These zones have influenced driving habits, not only by prompting drivers to avoid certain areas but also by encouraging investment in more environmentally friendly vehicles.
“Data indicates that while a high number of people were charged in the first month of low emission and clean air zone introductions people are now aware of which roads to avoid if their vehicle is not compliant. However, if you are visiting a city for the first time is can be tricky to navigate which roads you can and can’t travel on.
“Motorists are advised to look out for signs indicating the boundaries of clean air and low emission zones within a city and do their research on whether their vehicle is compliant before making any journeys through these zones.
“If you are a Google or Apple Maps user, these apps will provide you with alternative routes to avoid restrictions so it’s important to always pay attention and plan your route before setting off on your journey.”