More than 1,300 Glasgow LEZ fines written off
- Published
More than 1,300 Glasgow motorists have escaped low emission zone (LEZ) fines after they were written off by Glasgow City Council, the BBC has learned.
A tribunal decision in October said any LEZ fines issued by non-tracked post were not enforceable, impacting all fines from June to October.
During the transition from non-tracked to tracked post, 1,388 fines "timed out" as they were not served within 28 days of the LEZ breach.
These fines were then not issued but a council spokeswoman said there was no obligation to refund penalties which have already been paid.
All LEZ fines are now sent by tracked post, said the council, making them legally enforceable.
The council said it was appealing against the decision by the Transport Appeal Tribunal for Scotland which said the initial fines were not enforceable.
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Since the LEZ's introduction on 1 June, more than 25,000 fines have been issued.
The latest figures show 2,346 fines were issued in October and 3,439 in November.
These figures are about half the amount seen in previous months.
The most recent LEZ revenue figures show £478,560 was raised in fines between June and the end of September.
The council said the main aim of the LEZ was to improve public health by deterring highly polluting vehicles from entering the zone, rather than to maximise penalty income.
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How do fines work?
The owner of any non-compliant vehicle detected within the low emission zone will initially face a fine of £60.
The penalty charge will then double with each subsequent breach, rising to a maximum of £480 for cars and light goods vehicles and £960 for buses and HGVs.
Once that figure is reached, the maximum fine will be imposed for each day that the vehicle enters the zone.
The rate is reset to £60 if there are no breaches for 90 days.
Where area does Glasgow's LEZ cover?
The LEZ covers an area from the M8 motorway to the north and west of Glasgow, the River Clyde to the south, and the Saltmarket/High Street to the east.
Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee are to introduce similar schemes to Glasgow's LEZ in Summer 2024.
Like Glasgow, the restrictions will affect the owners of diesel vehicles over eight years old and petrol vehicles dating from before 2006.
The £60 base rate is set nationally by the Scottish government and other LEZs will follow the same pay structure as Glasgow.