Bus and taxi fares ‘to soar’ under SNP’s green crusade
The Nationalists’ green crusade will hit ordinary people in the pocket, ministers have been warned.
Legislation unveiled this week, and which in particular targets older diesel cars, will see all but the latest diesel models being banned from city centres within two years.
But the Scottish Government has admitted industry bosses warned that imposing ‘low emission zones’ (LeZ) in the four biggest cities will lead to higher costs, which will be passed on to customers.
Taxi and bus fares could soar, while shops could face higher distribution charges, which would be passed on to shoppers in higher prices.
The LeZs will be introduced in Glasgow, edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee by 2020, and could be extended to dozens of other areas by 2023.
Motoring groups estimate 75 per cent of diesel cars could be banned, while petrol cars registered before January 2006 would also be banned.
A ‘financial memorandum’ published by the Scottish Government fails to provide an estimate of the costs involved for businesses and individuals. But it states that motorists who want to enter the LeZ but do not have vehicles that meet standards ‘will face cost decisions’.
The report states that ‘18 organisations (including eight businesses) who responded to a consultation believed there would be an increase in costs, which would be passed on to customers’.
The report estimates that £10.8million of public cash will have to be spent this year preparing for the LeZs. It also says there will be up to £14.1million of costs for each LeZ related to grants provided to bus firms upgrading vehicles.
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘This confirms that any rushed measures to punish diesel vehicles will hit many Scots in the pocket.
‘The evidence to the consultation showed that any increase in costs will inevitably be passed on to taxi and bus passengers.’
Motoring groups have estimated that 738,000, or 75 per cent, of diesel cars in Scotland will not be able to enter the LeZs, as well as 244,000, or 17 per cent, of petrol cars.
Colin Borland, head of devolved nations for the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland, said: ‘We need to think about what the cost is going to be on industry and how we can spread it.
‘Of course we want to live and work in cities with a decent quality of air and people will think about emissions when they replace vehicles, but that is expensive.’
Derek Bridgeford, chairman of the Scottish Taxi Federation, said: ‘Lothian [Buses] is getting a grant per bus of around £20,000 for retrofitting but the taxi industry is getting nothing.
‘If it is forced on us it will mean more expensive fares and people leaving the trade.’
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: ‘We don’t anticipate the cost rising for setting up a low-emission zone. This Government continues to spend over £250million a year to support our crucial bus sector.’