An overview of Scotland’s low emission zones
The implementation of low emission zones in Scotland’s four largest cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, presents an opportunity for linkage between different transport modes.
These aim to improve local air quality by preventing vehicles that don’t meet stated emission standards from entering central parts of cities. The area covered by phase 2 of Glasgow’s low emission zone is shown in the below image.
Anyone entering the zone in a non-compliant vehicle will be subject to a fine. By taking away the incentive to use private, polluting vehicles, low emission zones help to encourage more sustainable travel behaviour.
People who wish to enter the zone but whose vehicles don’t meet the minimum emission standards will need to adjust their journey plans to avoid fines. Well designed and positioned mobility hubs could help these people transition to more sustainable travel modes. Mobility hubs could potentially be positioned either at, or close to, key zone entry points.
If these mobility hubs also included electric vehicle charging infrastructure, they could help to reduce the overall number of private vehicles travelling into the city centres. This type of infrastructure may encourage electric vehicle drivers to leave their vehicles charging at a mobility hub, and then use active travel or public transport for their onward journey within the low emission zone. This is not dissimilar to the idea of a ‘park and ride’, or ‘park and choose’ site.
Evidence from existing low emission zones, including in Madrid, indicates that they have contributed towards a reduction in private vehicle usage in favour of more sustainable modes of transport.