Motorists in Scotland will face hefty fines if they drive older petrol and diesel cars into city centres from next month.
Four new Low Emission Zones (LEZ) – similar to London’s ULEZ – are set to come into force starting from the end of May as part of Scotland’s efforts to cut air pollution levels in the country’s biggest cities.
Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen will all have strict rules on which cars can enter zone limits – and drivers of non-compliant vehicles will be stung with Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) that increase in value with each one that’s issued.
Glasgow’s LEZ went into operation a year ago, though doesn’t start charging residents until 1 June 2024 – as will Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Dundee will be the first to sting its locals from 30 May.
Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen are all introducing Low Emission Zones for non-compliant petrol and diesel cars from the end of the month in a bid to reduce air pollution
Scots don’t understand incoming LEZs
With the introduction of LEZs imminent, it’s vital motorists know how the changes will affect them, and where the zones are in operation.
But new data from Carwow recently found that almost a third (30 per cent) of Scottish motorists are not sure they understand LEZ rules and almost half (45 per cent) don’t know where the current LEZs are operating.
The car buying and selling platform surveyed 2,200 UK drivers aged and found that one in four (24 per cent) are not sure if their vehicle is LEZ compliant or not.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a guide on the new Low Emission Zones coming into force in Scotland in the next couple of weeks, so you don’t get caught out and fined.
What’s the entry criteria?
Entry criteria will be based on the Euro emission engine classification standards, in the same way London’s LEZ is.
Drivers of diesel cars and vans must adhere to Euro 6 emission standards (generally registered from 2016).
Petrol cars and vans must meet Euro 4 emission standards (generally registered from 2006)
Buses, coaches and HGVs must meet Euro VI emission standards (from January 2013 onwards).
Taxis and private hire vehicles will also be subject to Euro 6 rules, as is stipulated in the Taxi Emission Standards Policy 2021.
People can enter their vehicle registration number on the official website for Scotland’s Low Emission Zones to confirm if their vehicle will comply.
Fines and charges
Fines across the four Scottish cities (and Scotland as a whole) are consistent, with non-compliant vehicles entering a LEZ being hit with a £60 fine.
This doubles with each subsequent offence, with a cap of £480 for cars and light goods vehicles (LGVs), and £980 for larger vehicles including minibuses, buses, coaches, and heavy good vehicles (HGVs).
These fines will be delivered in the form of PCNs. These must be paid within 28 days from the date issued, and increase by 50 per cent if not paid within that timeframe.
Failure to pay the increased rate within a further 14 days will see the initial £60 fine and 50 per cent increased amount recoverable as enforceable debt.
This is different to zone charges England, where cities with ULEZ, Clean Air Zones (CAZ), and Zero Emission Zones (ZEZ) operate a daily charge which non-complaint vehicles have to pay to enter the zones.
These can range from £8 to enter Birmingham’s CAZ to £12.50 to drive in London’s ULEZ, and uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to track vehicles. Failure to pay online within 24 hours will then result in fines.
Dundee LEZ
Dundee’s LEZ is the first of the four to come into effect, starting May 30. It circles the inner city using the A991 Inner Ring Road
Enforcement starts: May 30 2024
Areas impacted: A991 Inner Ring Road
Areas excluded: Bell Street, West Marketgait NCP and Wellgate car parks
Operating days and hours: 7 days week all year round, 24 hours a day (events of national or local significance may see suspensions, or emergencies)
Exclusions: Blue Badge holders are excluded (long term and short term) but need to register their details
Support funds: Two support schemes from the Low Emission Zone Support Fund are available to drivers across Scotland who need to retrofit or change their vehicles. Apply via the Low Emission Zone Support Fund.
A grant of £2,000 is available to eligible households who dispose of their non-compliant vehicle at a Scottish authorised treatment facility
Travel Better grants of up to £500 will also be made available for each adult in your household. A maximum of £1,000 per household applies.
Edinburgh LEZ
Edinburgh LEZ comes into effect 1 June and encircles Tollcross in the south to Palmerston Place in the west, along Queen Street in the New Town to Picardy Place, around Abbeyhill and onto Holyrood Road, along the Pleasance in the east before heading back along the Meadows to Tollcross
Enforcement starts: June 1 2024
Areas impacted: LEZ boundary circles the city centre – Tollcross in the south to Palmerston Place in the west, along Queen Street in the New Town to Picardy Place, around Abbeyhill and onto Holyrood Road, along the Pleasance in the east before heading back along the Meadows to Tollcross.
Areas excluded: The boundary itself is not within the LEZ. All vehicles may drive around the boundary, including non-compliant vehicles. Enforcement only takes place within the zone itself.
Operating days and hours: 7 days week all year round, 24 hours a day (events of national or local significance may see suspensions, or emergencies).
Exclusions: Blue Badge holders (can be applied for up to seven days in advance of travel and before midnight for travel the following day online or via phone), historic vehicles, showman’s vehicles, emergency vehicles, military vehicles.
Some local time-limited exclusions (up to 12 months) may be granted on a case-by-case basis – find information and cut off dates for applications here.
Support funds: The same Low Emission Zone Support Fund schemes apply to Edinburgh as Dundee.
Glasgow LEZ
This map shows the size of the Glasgow LEZ, which cover the city centre from the M8 motorway to the north and west and River Clyde to the south
Enforcement starts: Already enforced since 1 June 2023 but residents given 12-month grace period ending on 1 June 2024.
Areas impacted: One square mile covering city centre bounded by M8 motorway (north and west) , River Clyde to the south and Saltmarket/High Street to the east.
Areas excluded: The M8 motorway.
Operating days and hours: 7 days week all year round, 24 hours a day (events of national or local significance may see suspensions, or emergencies).
Exclusions: Blue Badge holders, disabled passenger vehicles, historic vehicles, showman’s vehicles, emergency vehicles, military vehicles.
Taxi operators may receive a time-limited extension to the exemption period upon application, should certain conditions be met and evidenced – find conditions and application here.
Support funds: The same Low Emission Zone Support Fund schemes apply to Glasgow as Dundee and Edinburgh.
Aberdeen LEZ
The Low Emission Zone in Aberdeen is inside the northern boundary of Skene Street, School Hill, Upper Kirkgate and Littlejohn Street; North Street and Commerce Street to the east; Virginia Street, Guild Street, College Street, and Willowbank Road to the south; and Rose Street, Thistle Street; and Holborn Street to the west
Enforcement starts: June 1 2024
Areas impacted: Inside the northern boundary of Skene Street, School Hill, Upper Kirkgate and Littlejohn Street; North Street and Commerce Street to the east; Virginia Street, Guild Street, College Street, and Willowbank Road to the south; and Rose Street, Thistle Street; and Holborn Street to the west.
Areas excluded: Motorists coming out of the Orkney and Shetland ferry terminal on Commercial Quay can avoid the LEZ by turning left onto Market Street (turning right onto Market Street brings you into the LEZ boundary without any option for turning back).
Operating days and hours: 7 days week all year round, 24 hours a day (events of national or local significance may see suspensions, or emergencies).
Exclusions: Blue Badge holders, disabled passenger vehicles, historic vehicles, showman’s vehicles, emergency vehicles, military vehicles.
Aberdeen City Council can grant additional time-limited exemptions for certain specialist vehicles which are not suitable for replacement or retrofit – email application information here.
Support funds: The same Low Emission Zone Support Fund schemes apply to Glasgow as Dundee and Edinburgh.
Why Low Emission Zones?
Councils introducing LEZs are wanting to improve air quality – helping Scotland reach its Climate Change targets by reducing road transport’s contribution to emissions and protecting public health and wellbeing – as well as ‘prioritising active and sustainable transport’.
Other stated benefits include creating vibrant, accessible and safe city centre, and making cities like Glasgow desirable places to live, visit and invest.
Councillor Angus Millar, the SNP convener for climate and transport in Glasgow, commented last June: ‘Expanding the reach of the LEZ to include all vehicles is an important milestone in ensuring cleaner air for Glasgow – addressing levels and concentrations of air pollution which have remained stubbornly high in the city centre in breach of the legal limits.
‘Poor air quality is harming Glaswegians’ health and contributing to the city’s health inequalities, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable.
‘While the vast majority – up to 90 per cent – of vehicles currently entering the city centre will be unaffected, the LEZ standards will address the most polluting vehicles which are disproportionately creating the harmful concentrations of air pollution.’
Carwow’s recent findings also showed that while the majority (52 per cent) of Scottish drivers support this sentiment, and LEZs, and think electric vehicles (EVs) are the future, most (53 per cent) think now is the ‘wrong time’ to introduce new LEZ or expand current ones.
The lack of support for the forthcoming introduction isn’t due to lack of willingness, but rather concern over the cost.
The majority (54 per cent) of Scottish drivers say they’d like to own an EV in the future – and 6 per cent would switch now if they could – but can’t afford to.
Of those Scots who currently own a non-LEZ compliant vehicle, a third (33 per cent) say they cannot afford to upgrade.
Sally Foote, chief commercial officer at Carwow said: ‘There are two clear issues that have come to light here; firstly, that more needs to be done to educate and inform drivers about LEZs, and secondly, it is cost and not lack of willing that is preventing drivers from making the switch to cleaner vehicles such as EVs and hybrids.’
