Glasgow’s Clean Air Scheme – A Guide

Despite being in place since 2018, Glasgow‘s Clean Air Scheme started being enforced in June 2023, meaning that for thousands of motorists who frequent the most populous city in Scotland, the threat of penalty charges is very real. Let Scrap Car Comparison guide you through everything you need to know about the Low Emission Zone – where it is, who it affects and how much you’ll be charged.

Where are the zones in place?

Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone is one of the easiest to define from the skies, two hard borders coming from large landmarks within the city. The northern and western boundaries of the Zone are defined by the M8 motorway, while the southern limit runs along the River Clyde. Finally, the eastern boundary runs along Saltmarket, High Street and Castle Street back up to the M8.

The zone is in operation 24 hours a day, every day of the year, so there are no exceptions when driving within the city centre.

Glasgow City Council has created an interactive map, where you can see exactly which roads – and how much of them – are included within the zone.

Do I need to pay the daily fee?

Unlike other Clean Air Zones across the country, Glasgow’s LEZ operates a Penalty Charge Notice system rather than a smaller daily charge option. In line with most other schemes, however, the zone will penalise those whose vehicles do not meet either emissions standards of Euro 4 for Petrol and Euro 6 for Diesel.

The scheme applies to all vehicles except motorcycles or mopeds, with exemptions possible for Blue Badge holders or emergency vehicles. For full details on the scheme, Glasgow City Council has put together a Q&A, where it goes into detail regarding exemptions and emission standards.

Enforcement for all vehicles began on 1 June 2023. Local residents are currently in a one-year grace period, with enforcement for those living within the zone’s boundaries not having to pay the charge until 1 June 2024.

How much will I pay?

As mentioned above, instead of a daily fee, any vehicle that doesn’t comply with the LEZ restrictions will have to pay a Penalty Charge Notice of £60. The charge is halved if it is paid within 14 days. If the same vehicle then enters the zone again within a 90-day period, the charge is doubled. The charge will continue to double for repeat offenders up to a maximum of £480 for cars and light goods vehicles and £960 for buses and heavy goods vehicles. The charge is reset to £60 if there are no further breaches within the 90 day period.

Can I get a grant to get a compliant vehicle?

The Scottish government is helping its residents to prepare for the upcoming enforcement of clean air zones by working with the Energy Saving Trust to provide interest-free loans to help purchase e-bikes, electric vehicles and home charging points.

Scrap your car – no strings attached – with Scrap Car Comparison

If you’re looking at going greener to escape Penalty Charge Notices from Glasgow’s upcoming LEZ enforcement, then Scrap Car Comparison is here to help. We’ll find the very best price for your car, and even collect it from your driveway, and allow you to put some cash towards a compliant car, or even go completely electric.

With buyers dotted across all four corners of the country, we ensure that we’re getting only the best price possible for your car, and the entire transaction will be completed in as little as a couple of days – meaning you could be heading towards an electric future by the end of the week. Get started today using our quick and easy online quote generator and find out just how much your old car could be worth.