The Scottish transport secretary Fiona Hyslop has defended low emission zones less than two weeks before Dundee’s own zone becomes legally enforceable.
Fiona Hyslop MSP met councillors and media at Dundee’s Dock Street LEZ signs on Monday.
Motorists driving non-compliant vehicles will be charged £60 for entering the LEZ from May 30 as a two-year grace period comes to an end
The zone will encompass the area within Dundee’s Inner Ring Road (A990).
However, it will exclude three city centre car parks – Wellgate Centre, West Marketgait and Bell Street, which is currently closed.
Drivers of diesel cars and vans which do not meet Euro 6 emissions standards will risk financial penalties.
Generally, this includes any vehicle registered before 2015 and most petrol vehicles older than 2006.
Fiona Hyslop hopeful more people will visit Dundee after LEZ is enforced
Dundee business owners have raised concerns about the impact the LEZ will have on footfall.
This at a time when businesses recover from Covid-19 and the cost of living crisis, while facing a move towards online shopping.
They are concerned that shoppers will stay away and head to retail parks in city’s outskirts instead.
But the cabinet secretary for transport argues that the LEZ will encourage more people to visit the city centre.
“The low emission zones were actually delayed because of the pandemic and we’re now seeing recovery rates in cities”, she said.
“If you make your cities more attractive to walk around and you have better air quality, that will hopefully encourage more people to come into the city centres.
“We know that any air pollution can cause damage to health.
“There will be better air quality. That improves health, particularly for children, those with pre-existing health conditions and for the elderly.
“It means that people can walk around the city centre and have a better quality of life.”
Ms Hyslop also said that the Scottish Government has been supporting public transport companies to ensure their vehicles are complying.
Most Dundee taxis run on electricity or are in the process of upgrading.
Xplore’s large bus fleet is also heading the same way.
Ms Hyslop added: “We’ve supported funding for 1,100 buses to be LEZ compliant, so they can use the city centre.”
What support can city centre businesses expect?
Earlier this month it was revealed that the Casa di Gelato ice cream shop would be moving out of the city centre due to the Dundee LEZ restrictions.
Its owner Stephen Bennett claims it would cost him around £40,000 to replace his tailored ice cream van.
This is just one of his three vehicles he would need to be replace to meet the LEZ restrictions.
The Courier asked the cabinet secretary about what funding would be made available to Mr Bennet and other business owners.
“The Scottish Government has already spent £13 million helping people become compliant for the LEZ”, she said.
“I would encourage that individual – if they haven’t already done so – to contact the Energy Savings Trust and look at the Low Emission website to identify how they can access the funds that can help support them.
“There has been several years notice of this. We’ve already supported cars, small businesses and buses to help them become compliant.”
The Scottish Government has pledged to provide households and smaller businesses with a grant of £2,000 to “incentivise” them to dispose non-compliant vehicles.
Glasgow was Scotland’s first city to introduce an enforceable LEZ in June 2023.
Aberdeen and Edinburgh’s city centres are also preparing to introduce LEZ-enforced fines from June 1.
Ms Hyslop said that council leaders from Scotland’s four LEZ host cities have been meeting on a “regular basis” to discuss the progress being made with LEZs.
“One of the lessons from Glasgow is to make sure that blue badge holders are re-assured that they can still access the low emission zone”, she added.
How will the LEZ benefit Dundee?
In recent years Dundee’s Lochee Road has rated as one of Scotland’s worst polluted streets.
It has been excluded from the LEZ. But Dundee City Council are adamant that its benefits will be felt outside the city centre as well.
Steven Rome is the local authority’s convenor for fair work, economic growth and infrastructure.
He believes electric buses will help relieve Lochee Road’s pollution issues.
“A lot of the buses that come into the city centre are using Lochee Road and they need to be compliant”, he said.
“So, we are seeing the health benefits on Lochee Road.
“We deliberately tried to make the LEZ compact and as small as possible.”
Councillor Heather Anderson is Dundee City Council’s convener for climate, environment and biodiversity.
She added: “This came about because a young girl died from poor air quality.
“We’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for people to access the city centre by having car parks right around the periphery of the LEZ.
“Hopefully, having a clean environment in the middle of town will encourage people to spend time here.
“There has been a scrappage scheme over the last couple of years to encourage people to trade in old vehicles and to get better vehicles.
“We’re talking about pretty old, polluting vehicles at this stage. We’ve made it very easy for people to comply.”
Conversation