Aberdeen LEZ on the back burner as ‘science’ flawed
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By Chris Tindall SCOTTISH REGIONAL transport partnership NESTRANS tells CM that plans to launch a benchmark Euro-4 Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in Aberdeen city centre by 2013 have stalled after the government warned that the scientiic case does not stack up.
Concerns centre on the reduction of NOx emissions by imposing a Euro-based standard zone of clean air in urban environments.
Experts say that while particulate matter levels can be addressed with an LEZ, as in the case of London, attempting to reduce NOx emissions via similar means is proving more dificult. “Certainly for NOx, the concerns are that the technology might be fairly effective at reducing emissions on motorways, but at lower speeds in urban areas the technology doesn’t work,” says a leading air quality consultant who wished to remain anonymous.
“There’s been a slight improvement but nothing like what people were hoping for.”
Gordon Telling, head of urban logistics at the Freight Transport Association (FTA), says he attended a meeting at which DEFRA said LEZs based on Euro stand
ards of emissions from HGVs are having little effect. “The bottom line is that the Euro standard is based on getting an engine up to a temperature and running it. With stop starts or slow speeds, you don’t get the necessary tempera tures and, therefore, moving to a high Euro standard doesn’t make much difference. It’s not to say they don’t work at all, they just don’t work properly.” Telling says the FTA is promoting out-of-hours, off-peak deliveries as a way of reducing vehicles’ environmental effect instead.
● For more on LEZs and changes affecting London from next January, see the supplement in the 30 June issue of CM. If you missed it, call Esco on 01371 851800 to order a copy.