Close to 10 million ULEZ and CAZ fines issued against motorists
Nearly 10 million fines have been issued against bikers and drivers for breaking emissions zone rules since 2019.
Around 9.6 million fines have been issued against motorcyclists and drivers across the UK for breaking ULEZ and Clear Air Zones.
That figure is based on fines dished out since 2019, which covers London’s ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone), and additional low emission zones in other cities.
London’s ULEZ began operating in 2019 and was then followed by CAZ (Clear Air Zones) in Portsmouth and Bradford.
Fast-forward to 2026, and there are now 14 different CAZ locations that, if motorists aren’t careful, could result in hefty fines.
In some instances, motorists are required to pay to access a particular CAZ, while in others they can be fined simply for entering said zone.
Motorists can be issued with a fine for breaching any of the following; Clean Air Zones, Low Emission Zones, Zero Emission Zones and London's Ultra Low Emission Zone, if their vehicle is not compliant.
According to reports, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request made by MotorEasy revealed the amount of penalties issued to road users.
As well as the headline number that is 9.6 million, research shows that many motorists have been hit with repeat fines.
Around 300,000 road users have been slapped with Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) since the beginning of London’s ULEZ and other emissions zones.
Out of the cities featuring CAZ zones, Birmingham was found to be one of the hot spots for repeat offenders, with roughly 269,793 fines issued between 2021 and 2026.
For bikers, keeping up to date with the emission zone rules close to you, but also across other parts of the UK, will save you potentially being caught out in the future.
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
