Petrol and diesel drivers face £60 daily fine under new Low Emission Zone rules launching today

Owners of non-compliant vehicles found to be driving inside the charging area in Dundee city centre will be hit with a £60 fixed penalty charge, although this will be cut by 50 per cent if paid within 14 days.

Dundee has become the first city in Scotland to begin enforcement of the Low Emission Zone, with Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow following suit at the start of June.

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Petrol drivers must adhere to Euro 4 emissions standards, which generally impact vehicles registered before 2006.

Owners of diesel cars and vans will need to abide by Euro 6 rules (usually registered after September 2015), while buses, coaches and HGVs must be Euro VI (registered from January 2013).

The Low Emission Zone impacting drivers across Dundee will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, said: “This is an important moment for the air quality of Dundee.

"There is no safe level of air pollution and by restricting the access of the most polluting vehicles – we will protect the health and improve the air quality of all those visiting, working and living in Dundee City Centre.

“Low Emission Zones are rapidly expanding across Europe, with more towns and cities responding to the latest understanding of the damaging impacts of air pollution."

The Scottish Government has provided over £16million to help residents and businesses comply with Low Emission Zones, with support set to remain available for the coming months.

Motorists are also consistently being urged to check to see if their vehicle is compliant with the rules of the LEZ using the Government's number plate checker.

It is estimated that air pollution across Scotland kills 2,700 people every year, with the experts highlighting the need for urgent action to address the issue.

One in five people in Scotland are also set to develop a lung condition like asthma in their lifetime, prompting experts like Gareth Brown from Health Air Scotland to highlight the importance of the LEZ.

Similarly, Councillor Steven Rome, fair work, economic growth and infrastructure convener, said: “By only having vehicles within the Low Emission Zone that meet the emission standards, it will make the City Centre a more pleasant place to live, work and visit.

“The majority of vehicles that enter the zone’s area will be unaffected and the drivers of compliant vehicles will be able to carry on as they always have.

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“The Low Emission Zone measures contribute to achieving broader city objectives as well as improving air quality and achieving air quality compliance for Nitrogen Dioxide, Particulate Matter 10 and Particulate Matter 2.5.”

Councillor Heather Anderson, climate, environment and biodiversity convener, said the public health benefits from the LEZ are "clear".

She added: "The measures taken in introducing this scheme benefit children, older people, those with existing underlying health problems, and everyone who breathes in the cleaner air."