Aberdeen low emission zone plans criticised for lack of ambition
North East Green Party activist Guy Ingerson tells Northsound News the worst areas for pollution have been left out of the City Council plan.
Last updated 1st Jul 2021
Plans for a low emission zone in Aberdeen aren't ambitious enough, according to a local green activist.
The Aberdeen City Council proposal has gone to public consultation this week, with locals being asked their thoughts on the mapping that would include Union Street and some parts of the beach.
The area will see the most polluting vehicles banned from the zone, and will operate 24/7.
But Guy Ingerson, who is a activist in the North East for the Scottish Greens, tells us he doesn't think the current proposals will tackle some of the areas he believes they attention.
Aberdeen is one of four Scottish cities planning to impose a low emission zone, Ingerson says the plans here don't reach the same levels as elsewhere, saying:
"If you look at the low emission proposals in Edinburgh, the scale is massive, it's covering a good area, that's really the kind of ambition we'd have liked to have seen from Aberdeen City Council.
"On the plus side, it is really good to see low emission zones taking place in Aberdeen, me and my colleagues have been fighting for this for a really long time.
"So I don't want to be too harsh on Aberdeen City Council, this for me is a start - it shouldn't be the finish."
The public have until August 22nd to have their say on the plans, you can do that here.
Once a low emission zone is in place, there will be a grace period of two years for locals.
It's estimated that by then 86% of cars, 70% of light good vehicles and 93% of heavy goods vehicles and all taxis in the city will be compliant.