Countdown to Edinburgh's Low Emission Zone: Which vehicles will be banned?

Edinburgh's Low Emission Zone, which comes into force on Saturday, June 1, will mean only vehicles which meet strict emissions standards will be allowed to enter a 1.2 square mile area of the city centre. 

Vehicles which do not comply with the standards will be excluded and will have to find another route to reach their destination. The ban operates 24/7 all year round and fines start at £60 - halved to £30 if paid within 30 days - but can go up to £480 for repeat offences.

Edinburgh Low Emission Zone: All you need to know about Capital's ban on worst-polluting vehicles

The LEZ requirements are based on Euro exhaust emission standards.  Petrol cars and vans must meet Euro 4 standards, which means most petrol cars and vans registered before January 2006 will be subject to the ban.

Diesel cars and vans must meet Euro 6 standards, meaning that most of these kinds of vehicles registered before September 2015 will be excluded. 

But drivers are advised to check their individual vehicles on the online checker because some makes and models do comply with the requirements even though they are several years older.

Petrol and diesel taxis and private hire vehicles must also meet Euro 6 standards.  And buses, coaches and HGVs are required to comply with Euro VI standards.

Motorcycles and mopeds are not affected. And there is a national list of exemptions, included in the legislation, which means some vehicles will be allowed into the LEZ, whether they meet the standards or not. These include emergency vehicles; vehicles for people with disabilities, including people who have blue badges; military vehicles; historic vehicles; and showman's vehicles.  

The council can also grant local temporary (‘time-limited’) exemptions for a vehicle or type of vehicle for up to 12 months, but it has said it will only do this on a case-by-case basis and in exceptional circumstances.