Demand for scrapping cars in Scottish cities surges after LEZ introduction

New data has revealed that demand for scrapping cars during May and June 2024 has increased by over 64% in Scottish cities when compared with the same period in 2023.

Scrap Car Comparison found the spike in demand which comes amid the introductions of new low emission zones (LEZ) in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh.

The rules, first introduced in May 2022, came with a two-year grace period before fines for non-compliant vehicles officially came into force earlier this summer.

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However, following the end of this grace period and introduction of the financial penalties on June 1, researchers say it is highly likely that more motorists are re-evaluating their vehicle usage due to the additional fees their current vehicle would now cost them.

So far, the Clean Air Zones (CAZ), and LEZ restrictions have been introduced in Scotland’s four biggest cities, including Glasgow which itself has been enforcing the rules since 2023.

Those with non-compliant and non-exempt vehicles face paying a penalty charge of £60 (or £30 if paid within two weeks) if entering the cities, and unlike London and other cities with similar schemes in the UK, Scotland do not offer a charge that non-exempt vehicles can pay to drive within the zone.

However, there is a Low Emission Zone Support Fund, with more than £8million in funding assigned to grants which are aimed at residents and small businesses within 20 kilometres of the LEZ cities, who can’t otherwise afford to upgrade or retrofit their vehicles.

Households can make use of £3,000 scrappage grants for one vehicle per adult/household, while micro businesses are eligible for £2,000 in funding for scrappage of non-compliant, non-SORN business vehicles purchased before September 17, 2020.

With thousands of vehicles within these areas now deemed as non-compliant, many more drivers are choosing to scrap their vehicles - either via the government scrappage scheme or through independent means.

In May, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop revealed that more than 4,000 non-compliant vehicles have been scrapped or retrofitted via the fund, including more than 450 taxis.

To find out exactly how many more drivers in Scotland have been considering scrapping their cars since the end of the enforcement grace period, UK-based scrap price comparison service Scrap Car Comparison has analysed their own figures for scrappage quotes in May and June 2024, in comparison to 2023 numbers.

The data shows that the demand for quotes has increased significantly during this period, with overall numbers for Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh up by almost two-thirds (64%), going to show the increased number of car-owners considering sending their vehicles to the scrap heap.

Looking at the three cities individually, Dundee has seen the greatest uplift in scrappage quotes at more than 77%, with Edinburgh’s quote demand up by 72%.

Residents of Aberdeen may be less phased by the new LEZ restrictions in comparison, with quotes requests up by 40% in the city.

David Kottaun, Operations Manager at Scrap Car Comparison comments: "We've definitely seen an increased demand in and around the Scottish cities that are subject to these LEZ restrictions since the end of the grace period, as people are seeing the direct impact of the penalties and restrictions on their day-to-day routines.

"The LEZ restrictions leave many drivers’ vehicles non-compliant, meaning that in many cases they’re now too expensive to run.

"The value of these vehicles will also have dropped in these areas since the introduction of the penalties, so scrapping the vehicle will be the most sensible, and convenient, decision for lots of owners.

"If you’re looking to scrap your vehicle as a result of LEZ restrictions, be sure to head to our website and use our online tool to find the best prices possible."

For more information, visit: https://www.scrapcarcomparison.co.uk/scrap/clean-air-zone-compliance/aberdeen/.