Nearly 3,000 drivers fined for breaking LEZ rules in Glasgow

It's been a month since the restrictions were introduced

Glasgow City Centre has been a Low Emission Zone since 1st June, 2023.
Author: Stephanie AllisonPublished 7th Jul 2023

Glasgow City Council has released figures for the first month of its Low Emission Zone enforcement.

2,922 fines have been issued since 1st June.

The fine starts at £60 for the first breach and then doubles with each subsequent breach.

It rises to a maximum of £480 for cars and light goods vehicles and £960 for buses and HGVs.

There are some exemptions, including those with blue badges, and the fine will be halved if it is paid within 14 days.

It's been brought in to reduce the levels of harmful vehicle emissions in the city centre.

READ MORE: Glasgow LEZ: Garage owner claims he is inundated with people looking for cleaner cars.

Glasgow City Council a spokesperson for the council said: “To allow for a period of familiarisation, non-compliant vehicles detected in Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone received a maximum of one penalty charge notice during the zone’s first month of operation, June 2023.

A map of Glasgow's LEZ.

“Surcharging, which allows the penalty amount to double for subsequent LEZ breaches, started in July and will begin after the first charge notice can be expected to have been received by the vehicle’s registered keeper.

READ MORE: Glasgow LEZ: Heaviest polluting cars and vans banned from city centre.

“Glasgow’s plan to phase in a Low Emission Zone was announced in 2018 to address decades of harmful air pollution in the city centre.

“Since then there has been extensive communications and engagement to raise awareness of the scheme, its timescale for introduction and the availability of funding to support compliance.

“While up to 90% of vehicles currently entering the city centre will be unaffected, LEZ standards will address the most polluting vehicles which are disproportionately creating the harmful concentrations of air pollution in the city centre.”

To allow for a period of familiarisation during its first month of operation, non-compliant vehicles detected in Glasgow's LEZ received a maximum of one Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) in June.

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