A suicide prevention charity could be forced to ignore urgent calls because it cannot afford Clean Air Zone charges for its vehicles, it fears.
Suicide Prevention Bristol said it faced more than £6,000 in CAZ charges, which come into force in parts of the city on 28 November.
The charity’s welfare van is exempt from the charge, which amounts to £9 a day for vehicles that enter the city centre.
But the charity’s patrol vehicles are not exempt.
The organisation will, therefore, be charged for “each day [volunteers] enter high-risk suicide locations”, a spokesperson told Third Sector.
“If volunteers are attending meetings and events in the city”, the spokesperson added, “this will create additional costs that, as a small charity, we just can’t afford.”
The charity had an income of just under £68,000 in the year ending in January 2021, according to its annual return.
SPB has launched a petition on the council’s website calling for free access to the city centre for all charity vehicles and volunteers.
The organisation also started a JustGiving fundraiser for £6,046, to cover the cost of the first year of CAZ charges for two vehicles.
SPB said: “Unfortunately the council do not want to support any exemption for our charity to enter the Clean Air Zone in order to prevent suicide.
“We are incredibly grateful for the very kind donations received from the wonderful public, who recognise the work we do as a charity and wish to help.”
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said that the council had been in contact with SPB “for some time”.
The spokesperson added: “We have received their financial support application and are awaiting further information from the organisation before we can progress it further.
“We have been working with Bristol charity networks throughout the Clean Air Zone planning and preparation process.
“Following discussions with these charity groups, it was agreed that anyone volunteering for more than 12 hours a week and on a low income, and who owned and drove a non-compliant vehicle into the zone, is eligible for our financial assistance scheme.
“Our active travel offers are also on offer to charity workers and include: journey planning with specialist travel advisors, free bus tickets, train tickets, Voi scooter credit and more.”