“However, the car CAZs in Bristol and Birmingham and the extended Ultra Low Emission Zone in London are very blunt tools that create a tax burden for low-income families and workers.”
He added: “These drivers are least able to afford to replace the vehicles they depend on for work, often night shifts, and sometimes emergencies such as going to hospital or healthcare centres.
“They are also the ones least able to pay the fines.”
The city council, which is offering exemption permits for in-zone residents, said the initiative is crucial to improving air quality and public health in central Birmingham.
Cladding scandal victims anger at West Midlands MPs birminghammail.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from birminghammail.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The West Midlands followed the pattern seen across the country. Liam Byrne MP took 267,626 votes and Andy Street has 314,669, including second preferences from the seven areas of the West Midlands. Results were announced at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena (formerly the NIA) yesterday Mr Street won at the second stage – after no candidates took more than 50 per cent of the votes in the first round. Turnout for the Mayor race was 31.23 per cent while 31.02 per cent voted in the PCC election. The victory follows a surge in Tory support in councils across the region and country, while the party also won the Hartlepool parliamentary by-election.