Up to three-quarters of all diesel cars in Scotland could be banned from city centers in Scotland.
The Scotsman reports that under plans of the country’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon, only Euro 6 diesels and Euro 3 petrol-powered vehicles will be allowed in city centers across the country. This means that approximately 738,000 diesel cars and 244,000 petrol cars in Scotland wouldn’t be able to enter city centers without facing fines of up to 20 pounds a day.
The first Scottish city to enforce a diesel ban will be Glasgow and it could be enforced as early as the end of the year. After Glasgow, similar zones in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee will be established.
Ensuring heavily-polluting diesel and petrol vehicles are taken off the streets won’t be easy however. For example, approximately two-thirds of all taxis in Glasgow and Edinburgh have engines that don’t comply, potentially forcing the government to provide grants for cleaner engines to be retrofitted.
According to RAC spokesman Nicholas Lyes, the proposed bans may prove too harsh for most car owners.
“These proposals will have motorists reeling at the thought that they could be banned from driving in certain areas as early as next year if they drive a diesel vehicle registered prior to September 2014.
“Motorists accept that tough measures are essential to tackle our air quality problem. However, there should not be a rush to penalise them at the first opportunity,” he said.
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