Low Emission Zones see more drivers scrap petrol and diesel cars to avoid massive £60 daily charge

The LEZ restrictions came into effect at the end of May and beginning of June in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

As part of the new LEZ rules, drivers face huge charges and fines for entering the zones if their petrol or diesel vehicle is not compliant.

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Looking at the three cities individually, data found that Dundee saw the greatest uplift in scrappage quotes at more than 77 per cent, with Edinburgh’s quote demand up by 72 per cent.

Residents of Aberdeen, however, were less likely to take advantage of the scrappage grant with quote requests up by 40 per cent in the city.

Under the rules, if a vehicle does not meet the specified emission standards and drivers travel through the zone they could face a £60 fine, which can be slashed by 50 per cent if paid within 14 days.

However, drivers can get their hands on compliant vehicles with the LEZ fund that has already seen more than £8million in grants given to residents and small businesses within 20 kilometres of the areas.

The grants aim to help drivers who can’t otherwise afford to upgrade or retrofit their vehicles, with people able to make use of £3,000 scrappage grants for one vehicle per adult or household.

Meanwhile, micro businesses are eligible for £2,000 in funding for the scrappage of non-compliant, non-SORN business vehicles purchased before September 17, 2020.

David Kottaun, operations manager at Scrap Car Comparison, said: “We've definitely seen an increased demand in and around the Scottish cities that are subject to these LEZ restrictions since the end of the grace period, as people are seeing the direct impact of the penalties and restrictions on their day-to-day routines.

“The LEZ restrictions leave many drivers’ vehicles non-compliant, meaning that in many cases they’re now too expensive to run.”

Kottaun added that the value of these vehicles will also have dropped in these areas since the introduction of the penalties, “so scrapping the vehicle will be the most sensible, and convenient, decision for lots of owners”.

Kottaun explained that for drivers looking to scrap their vehicle as a result of LEZ restrictions, “be sure to head to our website and use our online tool to find the best prices possible”.

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To be LEZ compliant, petrol drivers must adhere to Euro 4 emissions standards, which generally impact vehicles registered before 2006.

Owners of diesel cars and vans need to abide by Euro 6 rules (usually registered after September 2015), while buses, coaches and HGVs must be Euro VI (registered from January 2013).