Driving law changes launching in May will see petrol and diesel owners hit with fines, a new Ulez warning and more

To help motorists prepare for the coming month, GB News has compiled a list of the most important changes set to launch in May.

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Low Emission Zone

The Scottish city of Dundee will begin enforcing its Low Emission Zone from May 30, despite the emissions scheme first being launched in May 2022.

The grace period of two years was designed to help local residents have time to switch to a compliant vehicle and avoid potential fines.

From the end of the month, residents and non-residents of the LEZ area who own all non-exempt vehicle types will be charged.

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

The initial penalty charge for driving a non-compliant vehicle on a road within the LEZ area for all non-compliant vehicles is set at £60, reduced by 50 per cent if it is paid within two weeks.

Penalty charges will be capped at £480 for cars and light goods vehicles and £960 for buses and HGVs.

Heather Anderson, convener of the city council’s climate, environment and biodiversity, said: "This is a major change in the way people will access areas of the city within the Inner Ring Road, but we must remember that only the worst polluting vehicles will be excluded and there is still time for people to make changes before enforcement starts."

London Mayoral election

Early in the month, drivers in London will vote for who they want to run the capital for the next term, with a number of major transport pledges set to dominate the voting.

The current London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been the most vocal supporter of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, having backed the extension of the scheme in August last year.

In his election manifesto, Khan wrote: "By reducing toxic air pollution by nearly half in central London, and planting more than half a million trees, we’ve become a beacon of environmental and climate progress the world over."

Susan Hall is the Conservative candidate and has made it clear that she will scrap the Ulez expansion and "pay-per-mile plans" on her first day in office, if elected. The former leader of City Hall Conservatives has also vowed to "remove unwanted LTNs and remove 20mph zones where safe to do so".

Reform's Howard Cox has also pledged to make major changes to the Ulez area, although has gone one step further and promised to scrap the entire zone. He also plans to target the "war on motorists" with the scrapping of LTNs, 20mph zones, road restrictions and wide cycle lane, as well as appointing a "road user tsar".

Zoe Garbett for the Greens has hinted at a consultation for a pay-per-mile road charging scheme, as well as potentially looking at creating a new charge to replace costs from the Ulez, Congestion Charge and tolls at the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels.

Rob Blackie has criticised Sadiq Khan for the "botched" expansion of the Ulez scheme last August, which left many Londoners unable to respond to the changes. The Liberal Democrat has pledged to make Ulez "more fair" by boosting efficiency, improving reliability and slashing journey times.

Even Count Binface, representing the X party, has pledged to make transport changes if elected. In a bid to gain favour, he will allow free parking for electric vehicles (except Teslas) between Vine Street and the Strand, and for those who cannot afford a Ulez-compliant vehicle, he claims they will be given a new electric car, which would be paid for by a windfall tax on oil companies.

E-scooter trials

The Government's electric scooter trials have been extended again to May 31, with new vehicle requirements not being needed for the regulations.

Trials are underway in major cities around the UK in a bid to see whether the scooters could act as a suitable alternative to vehicle travel for commuters and shorter journeys.

The trials have been extended continually since the pandemic, with the Government likely to extend the trials again as it collects more data and assesses legalisation options.