New low emission zones and driving bans in June
To improve air quality and public health, as well as to contribute to the fight against climate change, a wide variety of cities and countries are making increased efforts and rethinking their mobility in urban and urban agglomerations. In many places, increasing road safety in heavily travelled areas is also important, leading to the introduction of traffic restrictions, in addition to Green Zones, to improve air quality. Green-Zones® summarises the latest developments from the UK and Tyrol.
Great Britain
The UK cities of Aberdeen, Bradford, Bristol, Dundee and Edinburgh introduced new LEZs (Low Emission Zones) at the end of May. Each LEZ is permanent and therefore applies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Glasgow is instead tightening the regulations of the Low Emission Zone, which has already been active since the end of 2018. Other similarities can be found in the choice of ANPR cameras for monitoring and ban enforcement, as well as retrofit options. Fee and penalty systems are also the same.
The initial penalty fee for all non-compliant vehicles is set at £60. If paid within 14 days, there will be a 50% reduction. With each subsequent breach of the rules in the same LEZ, the penalty amounts will instead double. If no further breaches of the rules are discovered within the 90 days of a previous breach, the rate will then reset to the base level. Charge limits, however, are £480 for cars and light commercial vehicles and £960 for minibuses, buses and lorries. Law enforcement agencies and military and emergency services would not be affected by the measure. This also includes classic cars, fairground vehicles and vehicles used to transport persons with reduced mobility.
Although grace periods have been set, citizens will have to comply with the new regulations as of now.
Instead, the activation of a low emission zone in Greater Manchester, scheduled for the end of May, has been postponed.
Aberdeen
The LEZ will affect all vehicles except motorbikes with Euronorm 0-3 (petrol, LPG, CNG) and 0-5 (diesel) from 30 May 2022. However, a 2-year grace period is provided. Geographically, the zone corresponds to the entire city centre of Aberdeen.
Bradford
The ban applies to taxis, private hire vehicles, buses, vans, lorries and hackney carriages. Vehicles with Euronorm 0-3 (petrol, LPG) and 0-5 (diesel) are affected. But beware, the rules are stricter for private hire vehicles, where Euro 0-4 (petrol, LPG, hybrid petrol) and all with a diesel engine are banned. There is no grace period in this case either. However, vehicles that do not comply with the Euro standard can enter for a daily fee. The area, covers the area within and including the Bradford outer ring road. It also extends along the Aire Valley corridor (Manningham Lane/Bradford Road and Canal Road) and includes Shipley and Saltaire.
Bristol
A Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has also been newly added in Bristol. The zone affects all vehicles except motorbikes with Euronorm 0-3 (petrol, LPG) or 0-5 (diesel). As in Bradford, the grace period is replaced by the possibility of paying a daily fee. Only in a small part of the city centre, however, will the low emission zone be active.
Dundee
The same drive systems and vehicle categories will also be stopped in Dundee before entering the CAZ. The Low Emission Zone area is within the inner ring road network of the A991.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland, follows the same rules when it comes to prohibited vehicle categories and emission standards. The boundary of the zone runs around the city centre and includes the West End, Queen Street and New Town, Greenside at the top of Leith Walk, Abbeyhill to the east, Pleasance, Meadows and Tollcross.
Glasgow
From 1 June, the rules of Glasgow's already active Low Emission Zone have tightened. With Phase 2, the restrictions no longer only affect city and local buses, but all vehicles travelling in the city centre must meet the set emissions standards. Fines will not be due until 01.06.2023. Residents whose vehicles are already registered within the LEZ will instead have until 1.06.2024.
Greater Manchester
Not all English cities that planned to introduce LEZs and enforce clean air plans were able to meet the originally expected timetable, however. In Greater Manchester, a Clean Air Zone was to have started on 30 May 2022. Now the creation of this has been postponed indefinitely. Although local authorities confirm their commitment and efforts to meet the legal limits by 2024 and will prepare a new Clean Air Plan in July. The deadline for implementing the low emission zone and meeting the emission standards has now been set for 2026 at the latest.
North and South Tyrol
In order to reduce truck congestion and evasive traffic on public holidays and during the summer season, driving bans will apply on both sides of the Brenner Pass. In accordance with the Ascension and Whitsun holidays, the Province of Bolzano has issued a ban on HGV driving for 26 May and 6 and 16 June for the stretch between Sterzing/Vipiteno and the Brenner Pass. On the other side of the Brenner, driving bans for goods traffic will also apply during the same period.
In North Tyrol, however, it is not only lorry traffic that will be affected by the measure. In order to keep congestion on the low-ranking road network under control, driving bans will apply to all motor vehicles on several routes in the districts of Innsbruck-Stadt, Innsbruck-Land, Kufstein and Reutte. The strict rules of the environmental zones active in Austria must also be observed.
All new low emission zones with their rules can of course also be found in the Green-Zones app.