LEZ chaos shows SNP must start listening to the public

THE SNP’s handling of the introduction of environmentally friendly Low Emission Zones has been typically costly and chaotic.

Last week The Mail on Sunday revealed that Nationalist-run Glasgow City Council had spent £100,000 of taxpayers’ money hiring vehicles because so much of its fleet doesn’t meet the requirements necessary to travel in restricted areas.

Today we reveal the SNP Government has spent more than £1.5 million on public relations firms as it tries to get sceptical voters to fall in line in support of the restricted traffic areas.

The Scottish Government has its own in-house PR and marketing staff. The decision to give the work to expensive agencies doesn’t suggest much ministerial confidence in civil servants.

Transport Scotland, the government quango overseeing the introduction of LEZs, has been accused of rushing to push through restrictions on city centre travel when businesses are struggling after almost two years of devastating coronavirus-related restrictions.

Of course, political leaders must take steps to tackle climate change, with its devastating impact, but they must also ensure they have the public with them.

That is clearly not the case in Glasgow, where those motorists who cannot afford the latest expensive electric or hybrid vehicles face huge fines for driving into the city centre.

Had Ministers been able to persuade the public of the merits of LEZs, Transport Scotland would not have had to waste so much money on PR advice.

Surely the backlash against LEZs should tell Ministers it’s time to break with SNP tradition and listen to voters.