LEZ: tendered bus service extended grace period
Scottish Low Emission Zone (LEZ) rules give extra time to bus operators running council-tendered routes, if those operators are part of an approved fleet upgrade programme. During that extended grace period, using a non-compliant bus on a tendered route is not a breach of the LEZ rules, and any penalty charge notice (PCN) issued should not stand. The Glasgow LEZ Scheme Order 2022 names specific operators — First Bus, McGill's, and SPT-tendered services — and sets out the exact milestones that trigger or end this protection.
Legal basis
Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 s.15 (grace periods), s.17 (time-limited exemptions); SPT/council tendered service contracts; relevant LEZ Scheme Order
How to identify this in your case
Vehicle is bus/coach operated by tendered service operator; route was a tendered service; date is within the extended grace specified in the Scheme Order.
Sample appeal wording
Dear [COUNCIL] LEZ Team, Re: PCN [PCN_NUMBER] — fleet vehicle [VRN] Representation under reg 8(1); ground reg 8(4)(a). Vehicle [VRN] is a [BUS/COACH] operated by [OPERATOR_NAME] on tendered service [ROUTE_REF] under contract with [SPT / COUNCIL]. The vehicle benefits from the extended bus-fleet grace period in the [LEZ] Scheme Order para [REF], which applies until [DATE]. The detection date of [DETECTION_DATE] is within that grace. Evidence: tendered service contract reference [REF]; SPT/Transport Scotland letter confirming grace; fleet replacement schedule. Please cancel. Yours faithfully, [NAME], on behalf of [OPERATOR]
Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.
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- Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 s.15, s.17
- council LEZ Scheme Orders