TRANSPORT Scotland wants to grant small businesses in Aberdeen up to £16,000 worth of funding to convert their vehicles to comply with the new low emission zone.
The LEZ Retrofit Fund provides eligible businesses operating in one of the four Scottish low emission zones (LEZ) with financial support to reconstruct their vehicles with technology that meets emissions standards.
In line with Scottish Government policy, Aberdeen’s LEZ is being introduced to reduce serious health risks by improving air quality in the city centre.
Funding of up to £5,000 is available per light commercial vehicle and wheelchair accessible taxi for the installation of retrofit exhaust after-treatment systems.
Up to £10,000 is available per wheelchair accessible taxi for re-powering technology, with up to £16,000 per heavy goods vehicle or refuse collection vehicle.
The Let’s Clear the Air campaign has been developed to provide information for everyone navigating their way around the city centre once the zone is enforced from June 1.
The information campaign has been developed in partnership with Aberdeen City Council and Getabout to clearly communicate what and where the LEZ is and why it is being introduced.
Business owners whose vehicles do not currently comply with the LEZ standards are being urged to apply, with demand for the funding expected to be extremely high.
Aberdeen’s LEZ comes into force on Saturday, June 1, with drivers of vehicles which are not compliant facing fines if they enter the LEZ area after that date.
It is estimated only around 14% of vehicles in the local area do not comply with the LEZ.
This follows the introduction of low emission zones in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Grants are available to cover up to 70% of the cost of a solution, which must comply with the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS), subject to a number of conditions.
Applicants must operate within a 20km radius of the LEZ and employ nine or fewer full-time employees, with a turnover of less than £632,000.
They must not have received funding already and must have a CVRAS-approved retrofit solution that meets the minimum proposed standards of the LEZs.
A spokesperson for Let’s Clear the Air said: “We would remind motorists to double check if their vehicle is compliant and take advantage of the LEZ Retrofit Fund if that vehicle is used for business purposes.
“The purpose of the LEZ is to help make the city centre a cleaner, greener, healthier and more attractive place in which to live, work and play, while still being accessible to all.”
Concentrated around Union Street and the surrounding streets, the zone measures slightly under 1km2, representing just 0.5% of the total city area.
