STEVE FINAN: Dundonians won’t forget who imposed LEZ – and every fine is family of voters lost

Dundee’s Low Emissions Zone goes live on Thursday.

As I type, I’m looking at a real-time air quality monitoring website (Worldwide Air Quality) which shows Whitehall Street registers 14 on a scale of 400.

A 100 to 150 reading is “unhealthy for sensitive groups”. There are zero “unhealthy” scores in Whitehall Street’s data history, which goes back to 2018.

According to the council’s LEZ impact assessment, 12% of cars are now banned from the city centre.

If nothing else, this gives businesses solid information: one in eight customers who formerly travelled by car are lost.

Good luck city traders. I hope you survive.

‘No backbone’

The LEZ is Dundee City Council’s ruling SNP group toeing the party line. They chose party doctrine over their city.

They are working against the best interests of city shops, cafes and restaurants.

Not one member of the ruling group had the backbone to even raise a question over whether this LEZ might reduce footfall in the city centre.

If you get a chance, ask your councillor why not.

They won’t care though. They don’t notice ordinary people. They squat in their majority numbers on the council, stinking with complacency.

They think “SNP” beside their name on the ballot will always guarantee votes.

I wouldn’t be so sure, councillors. Dundee people might like your party but they don’t rate you very highly.

Your incompetent decisions are piling up.

‘Are you proud of that?’

You’ve cut services, wasted millions on the roofing blunder and Olympia debacle, and displayed skewed priorities like £400,000 for Christmas baubles while three long-standing attractions are at risk.

People won’t forget who imposed this LEZ. Every £60 fine is a family of voters lost.

If a motorist breaks the rules four times, the fine rockets to £480. Councillors, do you think that is serving your constituents fairly? Are you proud of that?

Putting LEZ signage up so far in advance was another blunder. The signs have become part of the cityscape; people have driven past a hundred times and now don’t notice them.

So drivers will make mistakes. They’ll forget. Some won’t realise they are now breaking the law in their own city.

Perhaps the council could claw back some credibility.

They could, especially for older drivers, issue only a warning letter during the LEZ’s initial period.

The cost of sending warnings will be recouped when fines revenue does roll in.

‘Dundee LEZ should not be punishment’

Not everyone will have seen the ads. Some drivers are still unsure about what, when and where the LEZ is.

Scottish Government figures show 24% of those aged 60+ are not online. They don’t know how to check their car on a website.

Council leader John Alexander – how about some action instead of words?

Dundee folk aren’t criminals for driving on one road when another a few yards away has no restrictions.

Whatever the LEZ is, it shouldn’t be a punishment tax for making a mistake.

Issue warning notices to older drivers for six months. Not fines.

It’s a chance to prove you care about Dundee folk, John.

Do you?