A SCOTTISH council will spend over £56 million to replace polluting vehicles, many of which are not compliant with an upcoming Low Emission Zone (LEZ).
City of Edinburgh Council is set to replace over 280 vehicles by its LEZ introduction in June 2024 in order to avoid bin lorries, cleaning vans and other frontline vehicles receiving fines.
Many vehicles will be swapped for electric ones, but some newer heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), not yet able to be electrified affordably, will require LEZ compliant diesel or petrol engines.
About 700 more vehicles will be replaced in subsequent years in order to meet the council's 2030 net-zero target.
Edinburgh's new LEZ will see many highly polluting vehicles banned from the city's centre.
Drivers who violate the scheme, intended to reduce carbon emissions in the council, will be fined £60 at the first instance, doubling with each subsequent offence within 90 days.
Almost all of the £56m sum – £51.6m of it – will be borrowed, with £2m raised from disposal of existing vehicles and £3.2m from council funds.
A report by the council indicated that savings on fuel due to the fleet replacement efforts will "provide additional benefit to the overall budget position."
It continued: “There are potential external funding opportunities that the council will continue to explore.
“More recently, these funding opportunities have been aimed at increasing electric vehicle charging infrastructure, however there are still some pots available for vehicle replacement and upgrades which officers are applying for.
“If any such funding bids are successful, this will reduce the amount of capital funding that is required from the council.”
In July, Glasgow City Council found that replacing almost 600 non-LEZ compliant vehicles would cost in excess of £30m.
However, the council said most of these vehicles would not have to enter the city's LEZ, and as such would be replaced on schedule.
