Portsmouth's new clean air zone sees 80 drivers charged a day

Just over 80 vehicles a day, on average, have been charged for entering the new Portsmouth Clean Air Zone.

The fee, which can be up to £50, started in November for high-polluting private hire vehicles, taxis, buses, coaches and lorries.

New data has revealed that 2,707 vehicles were charged for entering the zone between November and December.

The authority also confirmed that by the end of December it had issued 549 fines.

On average 82 vehicles per day were charged for entering the zone, Portsmouth City Council said, which it added was 0.25% of all vehicles.

Councillor Dave Ashmore, cabinet member for environment, has said that "overall air quality is getting better".

The scheme is due to remain in place for two years.

High-polluting private hire vehicles and taxis are charged £10, while buses, coaches and lorries face a £50 fee.

Private cars, motorcycles and vans are not included in the daily charges.

The council's grant scheme to help eligible drivers in the city upgrade their vehicles has seen 222 taxis, 57 buses and 66 lorries swapped to compliant vehicles.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are being used to spot vehicles that do not meet standards.

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