A waste removal boss in Dundee will be £60,000 out of pocket after replacing two vans in order to comply with the city’s new low emission zone.
The clean-air scheme for the city centre went live on May 30.
Drivers of older and more polluting vehicles face a £60 fine if entering the zone.
The ring road broadly acts as the boundary.
William Whyte has been driving in the city centre “everyday for the last 20 years” through work for his Whyte Contracts firm.
The former Black Watch soldier thinks Dundee city centre isn’t big enough for a low emission zone to be effective — all while making life for residents and businesses more difficult.
He said: “I’m all for doing something for the planet. We recycle at least 80% of what we collect.
“But this is going to create hassle for a lot of people who need to come in and out of the city centre without really making a difference to the air quality.
“I’ve seen a lot of change in 20 years, some good and some bad.
“I think this is a mistake.”
Getting rid of vans with ‘plenty of life’
William said his old vans had “plenty of life” left in them.
“While they were fairly old at 2007 and 2010, they never left Dundee so don’t have that high a mileage on them.”
While there is a two-year grace period before enforcement begins on the low emission zone in Dundee city centre, William wanted to get ahead of the game for fear inflation continues to spiral out of control.
But William had to get the vans, a Renault Trafic and a Maxus Deliver 9 Tipper, on finance.
That is something he is usually averse to.
By the time the payments are complete, he will have forked out around £60,000.
William added: “With the exception of a mortgage, I never get things on credit. I prefer buying outright.
“But that just wasn’t possible here, so I’m going to have to swallow up the expense.
“It’s a difficult time for everyone with rising prices, so this is not helpful.
“But if I don’t have vehicles on the road, then I’m not earning any money, so I don’t really have a choice.”
Resident worries
Aside from business owners, residents of Dundee city centre are also worried about how the low emission zone will impact them.
Among them is Richard Green and his long-term partner Jacqui Rae.
The couple are moving into a wheelchair-friendly home in Candle Lane, just off the Seagate, after Jacqui suffered a stroke.
While the couple will likely be able to get a blue badge, thereby meaning their vehicle will be exempt, they still have misgivings.
Richard said: “What about people who need to visit us, such as friends and family?
“Hundreds of cars enter the area to park daily. Where will they go when the scheme has gone live?
“Some people, like us, rely on a car for health reasons.”
Richard agrees “something has to be done about air quality” but feels a proper park and ride facility needs to be introduced first to make life easier for residents.
“The city centre needs people. This is just redistributing pollution elsewhere,” he added.
Dundee City Council has been approached for comment.
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