Edinburgh issues over 6,000 Low Emission Zone fines in a month

Edinburgh City Council handed out more than 6,000 fines to drivers who broke new low emission zone (LEZ) rules, new figures show.

Under the rules, drivers whose cars do not meet emission standards are fined £60 if they enter restricted parts of the city - and this doubles with each breach.

Over the first month, 5,756 first contravention fines were handed out, while a further 274 were given out to second offenders.

The rules officially started two years ago, but with a grace period, and fully came into force on 1 June.

Edinburgh's LEZ covers areas such as roads around Holyrood and Princes Street.

The Scottish scheme broadly affects diesel cars and vans registered before September 2015 and older petrol vehicles registered before 2006.

Each penalty charge notice (PCN) for non-complaint vehicles entering the LEZ is £60, reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.

If a vehicle re-enters the LEZ within 90 days of its last breach, the penalty charge will double.

Fines will continue to double until reaching a maximum of £480 for cars and light goods vehicles and £960 for buses and HGVs.

In Edinburgh, there was no fines issued beyond two breaches.

Councillor Scott Arthur, the city's transport and environment convener, said the public's attitude toward LEZs was "improving".

He said: "Whilst our objective is to ultimately see zero non-compliant vehicles enter our LEZ, I’m conscious that this is a process which will take time to fully materialise.

"I was encouraged to see the relatively low level of second contraventions in the figures alongside none for further levels.

"This shows clearly that people are getting used to the LEZ and modifying their transport habits accordingly."

Revenue generated from the fines goes towards maintaining the LEZ, with any additional funds going towards other LEZ projects.

Last year, Glasgow became the first Scottish city to enforce a LEZ.

The latest figures, which cover from June 2023 to April 2024 show Glasgow City council made £1,010,585 in penalty charge payments from the LEZ.

Data from Glasgow's first year of the LEZ will be released shortly.

Aberdeen and Dundee also implemented LEZs on 1 June.

Data on the fines handed out in these cities has not yet been published.