TAXI owners are being urged to apply for a temporary exemption from the LEZ scheme before enforcement begins in two months.

The Low Emissions Zone phase two starts on June 1 when all private cars and taxis need to comply with the standards to enter the city centre.

Vehicles with diesel engines older than September 2015 and petrol engines older than 2006 are not likely to comply.

   The council issued the update after a bid to delay the scheme by one year was rejected and taxi drivers protested outside the City Chambers reported by the Glasgow Times here.

Time-limited exemptions for non-compliant taxis were agreed by the council’s City Administration Committee last year, and allow extra time for operators who do not yet meet the zone's requirements.

Taxi operators will need to apply for the temporary exemption and show they either do not have access to a funded retrofit solution or that they have applied for or submitted an expression of interest in securing retrofit funding, but are waiting for the necessary upgrades to be undertaken. 

Applications for exemptions should be submitted by May 31 this year in time for LEZ enforcement beginning in June.

Angus Millar, convener for transport and climate, said owners should move quickly.

Glasgow Times:

He said: “At every step we have supported the shift to LEZ compliance by encouraging eligible operators to take advantage of available funding for clean, new vehicles or for retrofitting existing vehicles.

“But we recognise that for some taxis retrofit is not an option or there can be delays to retrofit work being undertaken.

“Granting temporary exemptions to give more time to achieve compliance with a vital public health measure is a practical way to support the taxi sector as we move towards enforcement of Glasgow’s LEZ.

“With the LEZ going live in June, it’s crucial that any taxi operator whose vehicle does not yet meet the standards of the LEZ moves quickly to secure access to the time-limited exemptions provided for.”