GLASGOW LEZ LUNACY
“As phase one of the LEZ has already achieved the council’s stated air quality objectives, I just don’t under- stand how they can justify this next phase. We have achieved the clean air that everyone needs to live a healthy life, so why is the council punishing the people of Glasgow for something we no longer need? There is zero benefit, it is a lose-lose, and the council knows it.”
Nightclub owner, Donald MacLeod, is also part of the opposition to the scheme which he says has hit local business hard, stating: “Footfall has fallen off a cliff, the streets are emptying and businesses are failing. The city is on life support. The council is refusing to enter into discussions with major businesses and employers such as Paton’s Auto repair shop or indeed the city’s flagging hospitality.”
Paton added that council’s own assessment shows it “will massively and disproportionately affect those who can least afford to make the changes required to comply – including those on lower incomes, those with special care needs, those with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.”
Paton is starting a GoFundMe page to prop up the costs of the legal challenge. Excess money raised will go to a charity supporting businesses affected by the LEZ:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/lez-fight-back-fund
The vehicles which are not allowed into the Glasgow city centre LEZ from 1 June 2023 as a general rule are: • diesel cars registered before September 2015 • petrol vehicles registered before 2006 are not allowed in the LEZ. Only vehicles that meet the following Euro emission standards are compliant to enter the zone: • Euro 4 and later petrol cars • Euro 6 diesel cars • Euro IV and later petrol buses, coaches and HGVs • Euro VI buses, coaches and HGVs • All motorcycles and mopeds
Instead of being able to pay a non-compliance charge like London’s £12.50-a-day ULEZ and £8 for Birmingham’s CAZ, the Glasgow LEZ will see owners of ineligible motors issued with a Penalty Charge Notice each time they enter. The initial PCN is £60, which will be halved if paid within a fortnight.
Only one PCN will be issued per day, no matter how many times the vehicle enters or leaves the zone.
PHTM OCTOBER 2023
However, a stepped surcharge system means the penalty will double with each subsequent breaking of the rules thereafter within a 90-day window.
This is only the case when a motorist in a non-compliant vehicle enters the same LEZ. That means a recurring day entering the Glasgow LEZ in an older car will result in a second PCN of £120, and a third day will see it increase to £240. The penalties escalate regardless of whether the first fine is paid, though the maximum penalty charge is capped at £480 for cars and vans. For buses and HGVs, the maximum penalty amount is £960.
After 90 days of a driver last breaching the rules, the surcharge rate is reset to £60. It means a driver in a non-compliant vehicle who drives into the zone every day would incur annual PCNs up to £174,180, according to a calculation by car selling website, Carwow.
The Glasgow LEZ is operational 24 hours a day. But, unlike the London ULEZ, there is no exception to its enforcement on Christmas Day, with Glasgow’s zone running 365 days a year.
Glasgow City Council estimates that just 10 per cent of vehicles driven into the zone at the beginning of May failed to meet the LEZ standards. Across Scotland, it is reported that just over a fifth of vehicles fail to meet the emissions standards, with the lowest compliance among diesel models.
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