Edinburgh Low Emission Zone: Council says its remaining non-compliant vehicles will soon be replaced

When the LEZ was introduced last year, the council had to admit it had 41 non-compliant vehicles despite a two-year grace period intended to allow people to prepare for the new restrictions.

It meant the non-compliant vehicles could not enter the LEZ and the authority was forced to hire temporary replacements at a cost so far of £302,000.

Edinburgh’s LEZ started on June 1 last year | Scott Louden

But now permanent replacement vehicles which do comply with LEZ requirements have been acquired for all but nine of the vehicles involved. And the council is awaiting delivery of replacements for those nine.

Transport convener Stephen Jenkinson said: “When we began the LEZ enforcement in June last year there were 41 non-compliant vehicles which weren't able to go into the LEZ - that's around 3.5 per cent of the council's fleet.

"These were specialist vehicle, like trucks with lifting equipment and accessible buses, and the lead time to replace these specialist vehicles is longer than a normal council van."

He said there were now 32 replacement vehicles in service and just nine hire vehicles still being used.

“There are also 22 non-compliant vehicles which do remain in active service, but the nature of the roles they perform means they don’t require to go into the LEZ. It is fully expected these remaining vehicles will be replaced this financial year, so we will then have no non-compliant vehicles.”