Tag Archive: low emission zone

  1. Scottish government to reopen Low Emission Zone Support Fund for 2025-26

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    Source: CiTTi Magazine

    Now in its sixth year of operation, the fund will receive £2 million for 2025-26 to encourage sustainable transportation for lower-income households, sole traders and micro businesses within 20km of Scotland’s low-emission zones.

    The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) Support Fund, operated through the Energy Saving Trust, offers cash incentives alongside Travel Better vouchers to help people and businesses most in need of financial support to adapt to LEZs, as part of efforts to remove the most polluting vehicles from Scottish roads to improve air quality to protect public health.

    The Low Emission Zone Support Fund also provides a grant of £2,000 to incentivise households and smaller businesses to dispose of their high polluting vehicles, as well as a further £1,000 in Travel Better vouchers to assist the purchase of a bike or e-bike, or public transportation vouchers.

    Fiona Hyslop, the cabinet secretary for the Scottish government has stated her delight at extending the LEZ Support Fund for 2025-2026, “I’m pleased to open the Low Emission Zone Support Fund for its sixth round of support. Since 2019, the Scottish Government has now provided over £15m through the Low Emission Zone Support Fund. We’ve seen over 4,000 of the most polluting vehicles permanently removed from our roads – and over 560 taxis retrofitted to become LEZ compliant since funding began. It’s also welcome news that the LEZ Support Fund continues to support active and sustainable travel – with over 2,800 bikes, e-bikes or cargo bikes purchased thanks to our support. Working with Energy Saving Trust, we’ll continue to ensure that financial help is there for people and businesses who need it most.”

  2. Madrid’s low emission zone = one of the most effective in the EU

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    Source: Eltis

    A recent report from Transport & Environment, the European federation of transport and environmental associations, examined the various low emission zones that have been implemented across the EU in the last few years. It found that Madrid Central, the low emission zone in the Spanish Capital, was one of the most effective in reducing nitrogen dioxide, as it delivered a 32% reduction in emission levels.

    Madrid Central covers an area of 4.7 square kilometres and restricts access to only those cars that have been identified as being zero-emission, with some exemptions, including for cars of residents.

    Even though the data from Madrid Central come from only one measurement station, the report stresses the importance of low emission zones in reducing premature deaths caused by toxic air. The report also noted the popularity of the measures amongst European cities, with more than 250 cities already taking similar measures. The broad uptake of low emission zones to fight air pollution is also generally supported by residents, with around two-thirds of those interviewed stating their support for the measure.

    The report also highlights potential areas for improvement to low emission zones. Amongst these is a missing legal definition of what a low emission zone is, as there is a large variety of zones in place, some of which only prohibit access to the oldest vehicles, as in some German cities, while others prohibit a lot more vehicles and have a larger impact, as in the case of Madrid Central.

    Low emission zones are identified as a key element in fighting air pollution by Transport & Environment. Their report calls for a transition from low emission zones to zero emission zones as the next step.

    Read the full Transport & Environment report here.

    Information on all European Low Emission Zones, Congestion Charging & Urban Traffic Restrictions can be found here.

    Photo Credit: © Image by falco from Pixabay

    Article published first at https://elpais.com/ on 12th of September 2019.