Low Emission Zones (LEZs) have now been formally introduced across Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen, although there is a grace period until enforcement starts.
Introduced to protect public health and improve air quality, the schemes will require petrol cars and vans to meet Euro 4 emission standards (generally vehicles registered from January 2006) while diesels will need to be Euro 6 (generally vehicles registered from September 2015).
In Glasgow, the LEZ already applies to buses while enforcement for other vehicle types starts on 1 June 2023 and 1 June 2024 for residents within the zone. In Dundee, enforcement starts on 30 May 2024, followed by Edinburgh and Aberdeen on 1 June 2024.
Penalty charges are the same across all four cities and start at £60 for an initial contravention, doubled for subsequent infringements within 90 days and capped at £480 for cars and light good vehicles, and £960 for bus and HGVs.
Blue light vehicles are exempt from the regulations as well as any vehicle driven by a blue badge holder.
Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth said the introduction of Low Emission Zones was a significant public health moment for Scotland.
“Our air quality is generally good – but for too long air pollution has exceeded legal limits for health in our city centres as a consequence of unrestricted vehicle emissions.
“We have a moral responsibility to act. Air pollution often disproportionally impacts those with the least in our society. It causes the most damage to the youngest, the oldest and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
“LEZs are the biggest change we’ve ever seen in how vehicles will access our cities – and they need to be, in order to best protect public health and improve air quality.”
Drivers are being encouraged to visit www.lowemissionzones.scot to find out more about the schemes, including the Scottish Government funding on offer.
