Who would pay the GCP’s proposed daily charge to use Cambridge roads – and how much would you pay?

A daily charge to travel into, out of and around the city is being proposed under plans from the Greater Cambridge Partnership to cut traffic levels and transform bus services, but some drivers will be exempt from the proposed charges.

A £5 per day fee for cars, motorbikes and mopeds is being proposed, with all other vehicle movements within the ‘Sustainable Travel Zone’ subject to increased charges including £50 per day for HGVs.

The money raised by the charge would help fund a dramatically improved bus network, with more services running for longer hours, and cheaper flat fares.

But residents and workers say they will be forced to move away or quit their jobs as they will not be able to afford the potential £1,100 annual cost.

Sustainable Travel Zone charge levels per day

• Cars, motorbikes and mopeds – £5
• LGVs – £10 (50 per cent discount for zero emission vehicles to be explored)
• Vehicles with over nine seats, not including registered bus services and coaches – £10 (50 per cent discount for zero emission vehicles to be explored)
• HGVs – £50 (50 per cent discount for zero emission vehicles to be explored)
• Coaches – £50 (50 per cent discount for zero emission vehicles to be explored)
• Registered bus services – 100 per cent discount, with potential to link this to the Combined Authority’s 2030 zero emission bus ambition
• Hackney Carriages (taxis) – 100 per cent discount if they follow Cambridge city licensing conditions of zero emissions (from 2028) or wheelchair accessible and £5 for those not meeting this
• Private hire vehicles – 100 per cent discount if they follow Cambridge city licensing conditions, of zero emission (from 2028) or wheelchair accessible and £5 for those not meeting this

Proposed discounts and exemptions

Exempt

• Emergency vehicles
• Military vehicles
• Disabled tax class vehicles
• Breakdown services
• NHS tax-exempt vehicles
• Dial-a-ride services
• Certain local authority operational vehicles
• Blue badge holders – Nominate up to two vehicles for 100 per cent discount
• Car club vehicles (official providers) – 100 per cent discount

Discounted

• Low-income households – potential for tapered discount 25-100 per cent

Reimbursement scheme could support the following

• NHS patients clinically assessed as too ill, weak or disabled to travel to an appointment on public transport, including those who have a compromised immune system, require regular therapy or assessments or need regular surgical intervention
• NHS staff using a vehicle to carry certain items (such as equipment, controlled drugs, patient notes or clinical specimens)
• NHS and other emergency services staff responding to an emergency when on call
• Other essential emergency service trips made in business vehicles that are not specifically listed above for exemptions eg fire safety inspections
• Social care, peripatetic health workers and CQC-registered care home workers; and minibuses and LGVs used by charities and not-for-profit groups.