Driving law changes launching in June could see petrol and diesel car owners hit with massive fines

With the new rules being introduced over the next month, GB News has rounded up the most important driving law changes in June that could impact you.

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Low Emission Zones

Drivers will see new charges introduced on the first day of June with three of the four major Scottish cities will begin charging petrol and diesel motorists to drive as part of the new Low Emission Zones.

People who drive older, more polluting vehicles will be required to pay a daily charge of £60 to drive inside the city centres of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

All non-compliant vehicles entering a LEZ across Scotland will see them hit with a £60 fine, with the rate doubling for each subsequent breach, capped at £480 for cars and LGVs, while minibuses, buses, coaches and HGVs could see maximum fines of £980.

The minimum criteria include Euro 4 for petrol vehicles (generally registered from 2006 onwards), Euro 6 for diesel (registered from September 2015 onwards) and Euro VI for buses, coaches and HGVs (January 2013 onwards).

Dundee originally introduced its LEZ on May 30, 2022, with a two-year grace period ending on May 30, 2024, giving local residents time to ditch their older, more polluting vehicles for more environmentally friendly cars.

Data from InsureMy found that Edinburgh and Glasgow were being forced to roll out the LEZ schemes despite having the two cleanest air ratings of the 14 major cities across the UK between 2017 and 2024.

Recent research found that Low Emission Zones, like those launching in Scotland, could reduce mental health problems, with higher noise and air pollution leading to more psychotic experiences and depression symptoms, according to the University of Bristol.

E-scooter trials

From June 1, 2024, new changes to trials will be introduced after the Government allows local authorities around the country to launch new vehicle special orders (VSOs).

This could include introducing new rules to change the geography, fleet size of the scheme and measures to focus on "strategic local objectives".

The Government required new changes to be requested before the end of May, with local authorities being given the green light from the start of June, with VSOs set to expire on May 31, 2026.

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General Election

In May, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the UK would head back to the polls on July 4 to decide the new Government, with political parties setting out their manifestos across June to get the vote of the public.

Some parties have already outlined minor details about plans regarding motoring, including the Conservatives and its Plan for Drivers and Labour's proposals to slash the price of car insurance.

With Parliament now dissolved, the progress of any law change proposals will be stalled until the new Government is introduced. This also means that any active Parliament petitions will be suspended.