Non UK Digital National Register for Clean Air Zones

In February 2016, Defra and DfT established a Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) to oversee the delivery of the government's plan for tackling NO2(Nitrogen Oxide) compliance.

A Clean Air Zone (CAZ) defines an area where targeted action is taken to improve air quality and resources are prioritised and coordinated in order to shape the urban environment in a way that delivers improved health benefits/supports economic growth.

Clean Air Zones bring together local measures to deliver immediate action to improve air quality and health with support for cities to grow while delivering sustained reductions in pollution and a transition to a low emission economy. Where there are the most persistent pollution problems, this is supported by restrictions to encourage only the cleanest vehicles to operate in the city.

Charging Clean Air Zones are being introduced for individual users to pay a charge to drive into, or move within, a designated zone if they are driving a vehicle that does not meet the particular standard for their vehicle type in that zone.

The purpose of the Digital National Register for Non-UK Vehicles is to enable the compliance assessment of non-UK vehicles according to the national CAZ Framework definitions, thereby reducing the reputational, political and legal risks associated with the current policy of issuing blanket PCNs to all non-UK vehicles that do not pay a charge, without evidence of their non-compliance.

The proposed solution is to procure an outsourced, managed service from a third-party supplier, to build and run a Digital National Register of Non-UK Vehicles.

The Digital National Register (database) would involve non-UK drivers registering their vehicle details, after which a compliance check would be carried out either automatically or manually by the third-party supplier. Details of compliant vehicles will be returned to the Local Authority on a whitelist and exempted from charges.

Indicative dates: Service to go live: March 2022 onwards. Estimated contract duration: 5 years (to align with the decommissioning of the CAZ service). Estimated publish date of ITT: November 2021.

We intend to hold a supplier event on Tuesday 14th September 2021. The aim is to share more detail on the above requirement, gauge the level of interest in the market and to use your expertise to inform the specification.

To register your interest in attending please email [email protected] by Friday 10th September.

This Prior information Notice does not imply any commitment and is not a call for competition. We are assessing the market interest in providing the services required. Without sufficient interest the tendering exercise may be aborted. Should we proceed, the invitation to tender will be the subject to a separate notice and it is that notice to which potential suppliers will need to respond at the appropriate time. All relevant information will be contained within that notice, including how to apply for the opportunity.