Scottish LEZ plans put on hold
The Scottish government has put its Low Emission Zones (LEZs) plans on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the schemes for Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee will not be implemented this year.
Glasgow’s LEZ came in to force at the start of 2019 but transport secretary Michael Matheson says the further schemes “are no longer practicable” in the current environment.
“We remain dedicated to introducing Low Emission Zones across Scotland’s four biggest cities,” says Matheson. “Local authorities share this ambition and Scotland’s first LEZ in Glasgow has been in place since 2018.
“LEZ planning within local authorities will continue, the development of regulations is ongoing and funding to support businesses and individuals prepare for LEZs remains unchanged.
“Given the recent uptake in active travel and air quality levels we are going to review how Low Emission Zones can be designed and how our cities might witness a green recovery transformation in tandem with Covid-19 recovery plans. We must be bold to reset the system to meet our climate change ambitions, reduce inequalities, improve our health and wellbeing and deliver sustainable economic growth.”