Low Emission Zone - your views online

Vehicles which fail to meet strict emission standards are to be banned from a 1.2 square mile area of Edinburgh city centre under the final plans for the city’s Low Emission Zone
A Low Emission Zone was due to be implemented in Edinburgh.A Low Emission Zone was due to be implemented in Edinburgh.
A Low Emission Zone was due to be implemented in Edinburgh.

Tony Ward

What a strange democracy we now live in. First the council lie to us about the "additional space" measures they needed to impose without any prior notification or consultation to "help fight Covid", resulting in many roads being narrowed and several miles of kerbside parking removed. Now our council are going to implement a plan to displace yet more traffic into other areas of the city, where several roads have been narrowed and/or closed. The views of the vast majority of Council Tax paying residents are again being ignored, so how is this democratic?

Maureen Berry

Wonder what the impact assessment came up for the small business and local residents. Mind you the council think its all students in this area! Wonder where all the parked cars are going to go in the zone. They have not even got the infrastructure to change electric cars in yet. Stealth congestion charges will be next.

Louise Wilson

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So basically any car older than a certain age, no matter if it is well maintained and low emissions, will not be allowed in the city centre? Do we just scrap all old cars? Can you imagine the environmental impact that would have?

Nick Jones

I actually saw a new EDAR (exhaust gas camera) on the new gantry near Maybury Casino heading into the city. Think it’s to monitor the polluting cars and probably takes a pic of the reg plate too.

Anna Mosspaul

It may start off as a Low Emissions Zone to restrict polluting vehicles, but it will certainly soon evolve into a LEZ and Congestion Charge Zone that will encompass all vehicles, polluting or not. Does anyone really think that the council will overlook an additional revenue stream?

Darren Wilson

I don’t go to Edinburgh anymore, it’s been completely ruined by the SNP and CEC’s harebrained schemes! Sit back and watch more businesses fall on their face, as if the pandemic wasn’t enough.

John Mcnicoll

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How is forcing the oldest most polluting cars to detour for miles going to reduce pollution. It will only reduce pollution in centre of town and increase pollution everywhere else. The vast majority of car users buy the best they can afford so the poorest of our community won’t be able to upgrade there cars at a whim from the council. Most are still trying to recover from the last whim of scrappage scheme to buy a diesel.

Ian Addison

Trying to turn us into a little London. If this gets passed, in a few years the map stretch out to include the whole of Edinburgh and fines to rise ….all a moneymaking scheme once again. We voted against a congestion charge some years ago and this council have been trying to think up ways to make money from motorists ever since.

Veronica Kernan

I get all the pollution and tackling climate change, but when are the council going to spend money on pavements to make them safer for people to walk on without tripping and falling because paving stones are all uneven? My incident happened in the city centre!

Ronnie Wood

A scheme that hits the poorest people in society who can’t afford newer vehicles that meet with required standards,disgraceful!

Richy Melrose

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Ahhh, the start of emissions charging or congestion charging by another name. Again the clowncil are forgetting the people that can't afford to change their vehicles to low emission ones.

James Patterson

Goodbye city centre shopping. There will be plenty of shops with little or no stock because haulage and delivery firms cannot afford to renew their vans and lorries just to travel into the city. Madness.

Colin Jamieson

So it comes into effect in 2022 but won't actually be enforced until 2024 using ANPR or mobile cameras. Assuming they can read the number plate.

Keith Robertson

The hypocrisy of this clowncil shows no limits – ban cars, build on green field areas which brings cars with it. Cut down trees, dig up hedging and bushes and keep extending the size of the city. Then wonder why areas are hit with flooding when heavy rains come and there's nowhere for the water to run.

David Brown

I’d actually respect the council a bit more if they just came out and said “we don’t want traffic in the city centre.”

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