Low Emission Zones (LEZs) will be introduced in the four Scottish cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow between February 2022 and May 2022, the country’s LEZ Leadership Group has decided.
That represents “an indicative timeframe” and not a finalised schedule, the Group says. The legislative and regulatory steps that need to be taken by the Scottish Government and relevant local authorities (LAs) will be considered before the Zones are introduced.
Plans to implement the LEZs were temporarily paused in May because of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The LEZ Leadership Group says that while no specific introduction dates have yet been set, it will “work as quickly as [it] can to introduce LEZs at the earliest juncture.”
The LEZs were originally due for introduction this year. In November 2019, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson – who sits on the LEZ Leadership group – described achieving that as “critical.”
On the announcement that the LEZs will debut in 2022, Mr Matheson says: “With the indicative timeline now established, planning continues at an LA level. The Scottish Government will continue to develop the required regulations, as well as providing funding to help people and businesses prepare.”
LAs will “explore grace periods following introduction and will balance the needs of businesses and residents with the urgent requirement to tackle pockets of poor air quality,” the LEZ Leadership Group adds. Those grace periods may be between one year and four years in duration.
Scottish LEZs will require Euro VI compliance of coaches and buses if penalty charges are to be avoided. Money has already been awarded to operators to upgrade vehicles to meet Euro VI standards, including £9.8m through a third phase of the Bus Emission Abatement Retrofit scheme in September.
Glasgow has already begun a phased introduction of its LEZ. Thus far it applies only to buses.
