..CAZ
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GLASGOW LEZ: MOTORISTS IN EDINBURGH, ABERDEEN AND DUNDEE JOIN THE GROWING REVOLT
The SNP plan to fine drivers of older vehicles £60 every time they enter Scotland’s four largest cities is starting to really drive people up the wall, especially as air quality is already good. On June 1, the second phase of the LEZ in Glasgow will see all vehicles that don’t comply with emissions standards (diesel: registered before 2015 and petrol: registered before 2006) prohibited from entering the city centre. Motorists cannot pay to enter the zone. Now drivers in three other Scottish cities have joined the backlash at low emission zones. Motorists in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee are getting an extra 12 months before polluting cars are banned but together with residents and business leaders they are already up in arms, especially after new figures emerged showing that pollution levels in all four cities are already negligible. The countdown in Glasgow prompted Edinburgh City Council to tweet a reminder on its official Twitter channel – but the post prompted a flurry
of angry
responses for the “bampots” in the council. One Twitter user said: “Cool, but usually people don’t choose to have an older car to pollute more, hence this is a bit of a social issue. The new McLaren in town with one driver in it is OK, but the family of four in their s****y 15 year old Vauxhall Corsa isn’t. Do you see the actual issue?” Another, John Lamb, quoted the council’s own air quality report and asked: “According to your website, the main purpose of the LEZ is to
PHTM JUNE 2023
reduce air pollution below the legal limits. According to your most recent air quality report, and your extensive monitoring network, pollution is below the legal limits - so why are you pushing ahead with this Low Emission Zone?” Others had more
abrasive
language for the “over reaching councillors”, such as “robbing, communist b*****ds” and “corrupt shower of plastic gangsters”. And Twitter account ‘Logical Scot’ said: “Dick Turpin is still alive.” It was a similar picture in Aberdeen after the city was named the best council area in Scotland for improving air quality and taxi drivers blamed the plans for a rise in fares.
One Twitter user said: “In Aberdeen they’ve closed off a good lot of the centre to cars therefore causing more pollution and congestion on peripheral routes, which will then fall in to the LEZ. It’s a massive money making scam.” And David Brown said the LEZ “penalises/restricts drivers (and footfall), but omits the rail station and harbour where diesel electric trains and offshore supply boats with huge marine diesels sit idling. Madness.”
Dundonian drivers are equally outraged, with one person asking: “Did anyone in Dundee get consulted about this? Thought not.” Dorothy Brown tweeted: “Dundee is served by a fleet of electric buses, after the Seagate street was named the most polluted in the UK (due to idling diesel engined buses) Now the air is clean but they still want a LEZ in the town centre?”
Although each
city is under
council control, the plans have been driven through by
the
Scottish Government as part of the SNP’s Bute House Agreement with the Greens. Transport Minister Kevin Stewart said: “It’s welcome news LEZs are already having a positive impact on air quality ahead of wider enforcement.”
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