Latest news with #LEZs
Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Row breaks out after Reform politician blasts LEZ schemes
Councillor Jamie McGuire labelled the schemes as 'little more than cash cows' and said the local authority 'must have no part in this' in a blistering statement. But the elected member for Renfrew North and Braehead has been accused of 'hyperbolic word salad' on an issue that was settled almost two years ago. In September 2023, the SNP administration confirmed it was not considering the introduction of an LEZ in Paisley or any other part of Renfrewshire at a full council meeting. Councillor McGuire, who defected from Labour to Nigel Farage's Reform in June, said: 'Scotland's four main cities already have LEZs in place and their experience should be a warning. 'These schemes have acted as little more than cash cows, generating income for councils while hitting those who can least afford it. Councillor Jamie McGuire (Image: Newsquest) 'People on the lowest incomes, who are far more likely to drive older vehicles, have been penalised simply for trying to get to work, take their children to school or care for relatives. 'Renfrewshire must have no part in this. A congestion charge or LEZ in our towns would be a hammer blow to local households and businesses. 'We are a working community that depends on accessible, affordable transport. 'Many residents travel across Renfrewshire for work, education, and caring responsibilities, while small enterprises rely heavily on vans and cars to serve customers and move goods. 'Imposing extra charges on them is not just unreasonable, it risks undermining our local economy and making it harder for people to live and work here.' He added: 'The SNP-led Renfrewshire Council must act now to rule out – clearly, unequivocally and permanently – ever introducing either a congestion charge or a low emission zone in our area. Councillor Jim Paterson (Image: Newsquest) 'Residents deserve certainty, not the constant threat of new charges hanging over them.' Councillor Jim Paterson, SNP convener of the planning and climate change policy board, claimed Councillor McGuire was 'trying to raise his profile' with the comments. The elected member for Renfrew South and Gallowhill said: 'Another day, another fabricated outrage from Councillor McGuire. 'The position of the SNP administration and indeed Councillor McGuire on this issue was settled in 2023 when the Conservative group called on the council to rule out establishing any form of LEZ in Paisley and wider Renfrewshire for the duration of this council term. 'The SNP position along with a Labour amendment was agreed then by the vast majority of councillors which stated that the council would not consider the introduction of a low emission zone (LEZ/ULEZ) in Paisley or any other parts of Renfrewshire. That position remains unchanged. 'Councillor McGuire, like his newfound political hero Nigel Farage, may like to trade in misinformation but to imply that there has been any change to the agreed position of 2023 is just nonsense and to suggest there is a 'constant fear' hanging over residents is just hyperbolic word salad from a councillor desperately trying to raise his profile to secure the top spot in his party's internal list for Holyrood 2026.'
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
'Hyperbolic word salad': Row breaks out as Reform UK politician urges Scots council to rule out low emission zone
Councillor Jamie McGuire labelled the schemes in four Scottish cities as "little more than cash cows" in a blistering statement. A row has broken out after a Reform UK politician urged Renfrewshire Council to rule out ever introducing congestion charges or a low emission zone (LEZ). Councillor Jamie McGuire labelled the schemes as "little more than cash cows" and said the local authority "must have no part in this" in a blistering statement. But the elected member for Renfrew North and Braehead has been accused of "hyperbolic word salad" on an issue that was settled almost two years ago. In September 2023, the SNP administration confirmed it was not considering the introduction of an LEZ in Paisley or any other part of Renfrewshire at a full council meeting. Councillor McGuire, who defected from Labour to Nigel Farage's Reform in June, said: "Scotland's four main cities already have LEZs in place and their experience should be a warning. "These schemes have acted as little more than cash cows, generating income for councils while hitting those who can least afford it. "People on the lowest incomes, who are far more likely to drive older vehicles, have been penalised simply for trying to get to work, take their children to school or care for relatives. "Renfrewshire must have no part in this. A congestion charge or LEZ in our towns would be a hammer blow to local households and businesses. We are a working community that depends on accessible, affordable transport. "Many residents travel across Renfrewshire for work, education, and caring responsibilities, while small enterprises rely heavily on vans and cars to serve customers and move goods. "Imposing extra charges on them is not just unreasonable, it risks undermining our local economy and making it harder for people to live and work here." He added: "The SNP-led Renfrewshire Council must act now to rule out – clearly, unequivocally and permanently – ever introducing either a congestion charge or a low emission zone in our area. "Residents deserve certainty, not the constant threat of new charges hanging over them." Councillor Jim Paterson, SNP convener of the planning and climate change policy board, claimed Councillor McGuire was "trying to raise his profile" with the comments. The elected member for Renfrew South and Gallowhill said: "Another day, another fabricated outrage from Councillor McGuire. "The position of the SNP administration and indeed Councillor McGuire on this issue was settled in 2023 when the Conservative group called on the council to rule out establishing any form of LEZ in Paisley and wider Renfrewshire for the duration of this council term. "The SNP position along with a Labour amendment was agreed then by the vast majority of councillors which stated that the council would not consider the introduction of a low emission zone (LEZ/ULEZ) in Paisley or any other parts of Renfrewshire. That position remains unchanged. "Councillor McGuire, like his newfound political hero Nigel Farage, may like to trade in misinformation but to imply that there has been any change to the agreed position of 2023 is just nonsense and to suggest there is a 'constant fear' hanging over residents is just hyperbolic word salad from a councillor desperately trying to raise his profile to secure the top spot in his party's internal list for Holyrood 2026."
Scotsman
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
LEZs have not made much difference to city air quality
Vintage Edinburgh bus Edinburgh's pointless Low Emission Zone (LEZ), imposed by the SNP Scottish Government and the left-wing parties on the council, could keep residents debating for years. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I am loathe to return to the topic, but we saw more nonsense peddled about it this week in the Evening News. Donald Anderson, an old political sparring partner of mine from his time as council leader, praised it on Tuesday and took up a cause championed by a few in the Old Town who bemoan that some older buses are allowed in as 'historic vehicles' for bus tours. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Donald admitted himself that the odd classic car will have negligible effect on air quality, but forgot that two or three buses - even seven days a week – will have the same minimal effect. What he inadvertently spotted is that even fully compliant modern buses remain an issue. Retired Edinburgh air quality specialist John Lamb keeps exposing this (@JohnfaeScotland on X/Twitter). He has shown from the council's own 2022 data that the 37,600 vehicles a day on Queensferry Road created a nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration of 26 µg/m3. Meanwhile, on Shandwick Place, where private vehicles are banned, the 2155 buses and taxis created a higher concentration of 28 µg/m3 of NO2. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For comparison, in 2019 before the car ban, Shandwick Place had 14,600 mixed vehicles a day and the NO2 concentration was 37 µg/m3 – it has dropped but not that much. Until they are all electric, a single bus will create far more pollution than many cars and our worst pollution hotspots will remain. The good news is that Edinburgh's air quality is already approaching the cleanliness of background countryside levels and we met the LEZ objective on statutory air quality before it was even introduced. Where Donald was wrong was when he said old car users could 'pay for the privilege' of entering the LEZ. In truth they are fined very heavily compared with the low access fee for English LEZs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The truth is that this is a policy implemented by those who hate the concept of private vehicles and the individual freedom they bring. Cllr Iain Whyte, Craigentinny/Duddingston Ward and leader of the Conservative group
Scotsman
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Why are heavily polluting buses still allowed on city streets
Old cars can't come into the city without paying for the privilege under the low emission zone, but commercial vintage buses face no similar restrictions Low Emission Zone signs in place with six months to go Official road signs are being installed on the boundary of Edinburgh's Low Emission Zone (LEZ), with six months until enforcement begins. The signs, which are being used in the four Scottish cities with city centre LEZs, will inform drivers they are driving within the zone. In Edinburgh, additional '˜warning signs' will tell drivers that Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) will not be issued until 1 June 2024 and only to the most polluting vehicles. On Wednesday, Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Scott Arthur met contractors installing some of the first signs and urged drivers to prepare for the changes coming into force from 1 June 2024. Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: While enforcement against non-compliant vehicles won't begin until 1 June 2024, these signs are a reminder that the changes will soon come into force. By allowing a two-year grace period we wanted to give people plenty of time to prepare for the LEZ. However, with six months to go there's still time, and I'd urge anyone who's eligible to apply for the support finds on offer. Essentially, reducing the most polluting vehicles from the city will benefit everyone. Air pollution harms both our physical and mental health, so the LEZ we will help create a healthier place for everyone, reducing inequalities and making the city centre a more welcoming place. Dona Milne, Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian, added: Reducing air pollution has clear long and short-term health benefits for everyone. Our hope is that improved air quality will also encourage people to take advantage of more sustainable and active ways of travel, such as walking, cycling and public transport, which is beneficial for individuals and communities alike. Some households and small businesses One of the things I find difficult to understand in a city with low emission zones is why we allow some of the most heavily polluting vehicles onto our city centre. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There's been a huge debate about the low emissions zones, and everyone had the opportunity to have their say after which the proposals were implemented. Clean air hasn't happened overnight. I well remember a friend telling me about a car trip with his mum and dad back to his home just off Leith Walk in 1950s Edinburgh. Such was the pollution in those days that his mum had to open the door to check where the pavement was, so that they could park safely. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We're much better placed these days. Indeed, Edinburgh hasn't just dumped the 'Old Reekie' tag, our air quality has been completely transformed. In November a survey by Autotrader concluded that Edinburgh had the cleanest air of any city in the UK. Old cars can't come into the city without paying for the privilege, but commercial vintage buses face no similar restrictions. I understand why we would want to make vintage cars exempt. After all an occasional day trip by someone in a vintage car is neither here nor there, and they're lovely to see occasionally. However, tour buses are commercial enterprises, and they run seven days a week in the city, so the environmental impact won't be negligible. There are plenty of modern buses on the market that have very efficient engines and there are now plenty of electric buses on the market too. There are plenty of buses that have been converted, so that could happen too. We all want to see more jobs and benefits from Edinburgh being such a successful tourism destination. But we all want to breathe cleaner air at the same time. We all want to preserve our historic buses and perhaps a historic bus tour should be like a steam train trip, one of those rare treats to be savoured. Surely, it's time that all commercial tour buses in the city centre operate by the same rules? Donald Anderson is Director, Playfair Scotland
Press and Journal
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Press and Journal
David Knight: Being fined at the faffing-about early stages of Aberdeen bus gates has had me simmering every day for three years
Whenever I approach a hooded and disabled roadside speed camera – with 'not in use' on it – I slow down instinctively. There are a few of them dotted around Aberdeen. Like Daleks from Dr Who; temporarily rendered harmless, but still menacing. I suppose it's some kind of reverse psychology going on: our brains are still wired to be wary of speed traps. You'd think I'd speed up rather than decelerate. Or maybe I don't really believe the 'not in use' signs and suspect it's some kind of trick. My journalistic mind always suspects that the authorities are up to something. My standard starting point is that they are trying to hide important things from the public and so a permanent state of scepticism is healthy. To challenge things all the time. After all, there is a lot to process in Aberdeen right now, especially with bus-gate and LEZ (Low Emission Zone) fines popping through letter boxes at an alarming rate. The Post Office's immediate future as a viable going concern must surely be guaranteed thanks to this lucrative line of mail-delivery business. I gazed at a P&J colour-coded graphic shape depicting a myriad of current traffic restrictions around Aberdeen, including bus gates and LEZs. Stretching like a green medieval gauntlet around all the city centre's major streets – choking the life out of them, some might say. The first salvos in a legal challenge by local businesses against the profit-draining gates are expected in the Court of Session soon. My beef with council bus gates always has been whether correct processes – democratic and procedural – were followed. That should interest all citizens. Meanwhile, the first wave of data on Aberdeen LEZs is being digested on the first anniversary of their introduction. A hefty £4.5million in LEZ fines dominates the debate, but important health information about reductions in potentially lethal emissions must also be evaluated. My health was not helped by pondering over not one, but four fines which arrived at my door. Two were imposed in Aberdeen, but are now a bit old. I don't bear grudges, but I have been simmering about them every day for three years. The other two were just a matter of weeks ago. Not in Aberdeen, but in a galaxy far, far away in England. Parking fines administered while I was on a mercy mission to visit a sick elderly relative. Twice for the same offence, in effect: once the night before and again in a dawn swoop by a patrol the next day before I awoke. They had me bang to rights, but surely not twice overnight? With my legal magnifying glass to hand I spotted one ticket had recorded me mistakenly as being at another car park half a mile away. It was enough: a legal technicality, but my challenge in writing was upheld and one fine was quashed on appeal. Hardly the case of the century, but again shows that challenging things is healthy – and reading small print is always essential. This recent saga made me think back to that old pair of fines from years before. I managed to incur two Aberdeen bus-gate fines in the same spot within days of each other; that took a serious level of ineptitude on my part, you might think. But shell-shocked and bewildered, I returned to the scene of my 'crime' to walk slowly through the bus-gate zone instead to discover where I went wrong. I still couldn't make sense of it due to shambolic signage which drew much criticism. I thought of this again after the lawyer leading the legal battle reckoned bus-gate fines would have to be refunded to motorists if he won in court. However, he was only talking about fines dating back to when the 'experimental' status of the current bus-gate layout was made permanent earlier this year. But what about me and many others? I fell foul of what I describe as a 'pre-experiment' experimental stage of this troubled project when a pilot bus-gate was trialled temporarily at one end of Union Street. It was the embryonic forerunner of what you see today, but also triggered a furore of protest and many fines. I hate to take issue with the legal expert, but surely as these people were punished during an earlier chaotic faffing-about stage of bus gates – before they became legally binding – they actually have a stronger argument for recompense? Paying a fine is hardly a matter of life or death, you might say. But it might be if you were breathing in exhaust emissions in what are now LEZs. Early evidence shows some reductions. Good news, but we must bear in mind that the smallish Aberdeen LEZs seem harsher and more intense than elsewhere in Scotland. So it begs a challenging question: have they got the balance right? David Knight is the long-serving former deputy editor of The Press and Journal
