Low Emission Zone (LEZ) costs: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.


Information requested

FOI response published here The Low Emission Zones (LEZ) costs: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

It states "The most recent estimated"; ie the key word being "estimated" and estimates Edinburgh within a £140,000 margin while estimates Glasgow down to a single £1 [£366,681]. What nonsense this is. How can Edinburgh be estimated within £140k and Glasgow to the nearest £1? Why don't both estimates have the same banding? One is an estimate while the other 3 are exact figures, and yet the response states all 4 are estimates. Do you actually know what you are doing? How can Edinburgh's estimate have a lower/upperbound estimate range be £140; ie 32% of the lower bound? Do you have any idea of what you are doing with taxpayer money?
 

Response

The answer to your question is:

The estimated running costs detailed in the published FOI response you referred to for case 202400396525 were as mentioned:

City of Edinburgh Council - £440,000 - £580,000
Dundee City Council - £230,000
Aberdeen City Council - £290,000
Glasgow City Council - £366,681

The estimated running costs were provided by each of the local authorities. At the time only Glasgow City Council (GCC) had an operational LEZ (Dundee began on 30 May 2024, and Aberdeen and Edinburgh began on 1 June 2024).

It is not clear what is meant by your reference to “banding” regarding estimates, however if this relates to the range of estimate provided by City of Edinburgh Council compared to the single figure Glasgow City Council provided, the answer given in our initial response was the estimate provided by the local authority.

Please note that actual running costs for the LEZ require to be formally reported and published annually by each of the LEZ local authorities.

You can contact the local authorities directly for information as to how they calculated their estimates and/or for information on LEZ running costs:

Aberdeen City Council website: Contact us | Aberdeen City Council
Any general enquiries about Aberdeen's LEZ can be made via email to
transportstrategy@aberdeencity.gov.uk.

Dundee City Council website: Contact Us | Dundee City Council
Any general enquiries about Dundee's LEZ can be made via email to dundee.lez@dundeecity.gov.uk.

City Edinburgh Council website: Contact us – The City of Edinburgh Council
Any general enquiries about Edinburgh's LEZ can be made via email to lez@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Glasgow Council website: Contact Us - Glasgow City Council
Any general enquiries about Glasgow's LEZ can be made via email to LEZ@glasgow.gov.uk.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot

Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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