The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has expressed “strong concern” about proposals to only give two year’s notice before implementing low emission zones in Scotland.
A FTA spokesman said this would affect a wide range of vehicles, from two-year-old diesel cars, any lorry older than three years, and some van classes those more than one year old.
The Scottish Government’s Low Emission Strategy, published on Friday, said that a council wanting to establish such a zone in Scotland would only need to give two year’s notice.
This could leave many company car drivers out of pocket if they replace their cars every three or four years.
Christopher Snelling, FTA head of urban logistics policy, said: “The biggest concern in these proposals is the potential timescale for implementation.
“In the document it correctly notes that ‘it is vital to the potential success of a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) that affected vehicle owners and operators are given sufficient notice to ensure compliance before the LEZ is established’.
The document states that the notice period should be a maximum of two years – compared to the total of seven years that will have passed by the time London’s Euro VI LEZ comes into force.
Mr Snelling added: “Two year’s notice might work if what is planned is a lower standard bus-only LEZ – as implemented successfully in Brighton recently.
“However if we are to avoid significant disruption to local economies in town and city centres, commercial vehicles operators, and we’d assume private motorists, need notice periods akin to those being given in London.”
