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

Before you send this

Deadline. A late submission can be turned down without your argument being read. Check your notice for the deadline and how it is counted.
Paying may end it. Paying can count as accepting the notice and can close a challenge already under way. Part-paying or acknowledging an old debt can also revive a time limit that had expired.
The amount can change. Check what happens to the sum if you challenge — it may be held, re-offered lower, or keep rising, and fees or enforcement can continue meanwhile.
Use the official route. Use the method, recipient and form your notice specifies, with any reference, evidence and signature it asks for. Sent elsewhere, it may not count.
Only say what is true. Do not copy any statement of fact unless it is true for you, and check the legal point still applies. Delete what does not fit. It may be treated as your statement.
Careful what you volunteer. Avoid unnecessary admissions — naming the driver or accepting responsibility can remove arguments. But answer anything you are legally required to answer, and do include the evidence your ground needs.
Keep the record. Keep what you sent, the attachments, any receipt, and the reply. Note the next deadline.

Sample wording to adapt and send yourself — it may not fit your notice or the stage you are at. Replace the bracketed prompts with your own details; leave any case citation as it is.

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]

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LEZ: tendered bus service extended grace period

Legal basis

How to identify this in your case

Sample appeal wording

Beat It writes this argument automatically

Sources

Related appeal grounds

Next steps