Glasgow City Centre Rings in the New Year with Scotland's First Low Emission Zone

Published: 21 December 2018

Just before the bells last night, Glasgow city centre became Scotland's first ever Low Emission Zone.

A Milestone

An important milestone for improving air quality, Glasgow's LEZ initially affects local service buses only, before being extended to all vehicle types by the end of 2022.

Whilst much has been done to improve the quality of the air we breathe, for the oldest and youngest in our society and those with existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, air quality remains an issue. Glasgow's LEZ will therefore help to reduce pollution, making our city centre a cleaner and more enjoyable place to live, work and visit.

Leading the Way

Cllr Anna Richardson, Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction said; "Delivering cleaner air is a priority for our city and so I'm delighted that Glasgow has led the way by introducing Scotland's first LEZ.

"I know from the many conversations I've had, that there's widespread support for the LEZ. It's a vital step to ensure our city centre is a welcoming, healthy and pleasant place to be.

"Whilst it'll be another four years before the emission standards required to enter our LEZ will apply to all vehicles, we want to raise awareness early to ensure that everyone is informed and has time to prepare. The success of the LEZ depends on us getting our message out there as soon as possible so we'll continue to engage with individuals and businesses in the run up to the end of 2022.

"I'm also encouraging people to find out more about Glasgow's LEZ and how it might affect them by visiting our dedicated LEZ webpages."

Four Cities

The Scottish Government has pledged to introduce Low Emission Zones into Scotland's four biggest cities; Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee between 2018 and 2020.

More information about Glasgow's LEZ can be found here and further details on the national picture here.