Aberdeen secures funding for LEZ
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c:hris.tindattfarbi.co.uk ABERDEEN CITY Council hopes operators will invest in cleaner vehicles after it secured European funding for an HGV Low Emission Zone (LEZ).
The plans are still in their infancy, but a consultation into four proposals to tackle the high levels of NOx emissions, one of which is an LEZ, has already ended and the next stage will include discussions with stakeholders about what scheme it should pursue.
Freight vehicles and buses cause 80% of the air quality issues, but represent only 20% of the traffic in the city centre, says the council. It hopes an LEZ would encourage operators to invest in less-polluting vehicles or face being prevented from entering the zone.
Scottish regional transport body NESTRANS is helping with the plans. Rab Dickson, NESTRANS transport strategy manager, says a bus and car LEZ are also being considered. "What we hear anecdotally is [of operators] that are running 20-year-old trucks; they are the ones causing the problems.
The Freight Transport Association head of policy for Scotland Chris McRae says any developments will be subject to further discussion with the stakeholders.