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V1051 – Low Emission Zone Bill 2016
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V1051 – Low Emission Zone Bill 2016, TSR Labour Party
Low Emission Zone Bill 2016
An act to introduce Low Emission Zones for busses in the 25 largest UK cities
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Service Requirements
(1) All local services which enter, leave or operate within the streets affected must be operated exclusively by buses whose engines have been either;
a) approved as meeting at least the Euro V standard for all emissions; OR
b) certified by the local City Council as being fitted with an exhaust treatment device which ensures that, in urban operating conditions, the emissions of NOx are reduced to a level comparable to Euro V.
(2) Low Emission Zones must cover the area controlled by the respective City Councils or Metropolitan Borough Councils.
2 Monitoring
(1) Buses used on services subject to 1(1) may be monitored, the process of which may include but is not limited to the use of:
a) Traffic enforcement cameras
b) Emission monitoring devices
c) Civil Enforcement Officers.
(2) This monitoring may lead to a set penalty action if a bus is observed, by camera or on-street observation, which does not comply with 1(1).
3 Exemptions
(1) Very low frequency services are exempt.
a) Very low frequency services are defined as a service which passes no point in the streets affected more than 25 times a week in any one direction and is not a service operated primarily for the purposes of tourism.
i) This must be a stand-alone service, defined as one on which less than 50% of the operating mileage is over the same roads as another service of the same operator.
(2) If a service is run commercially during 2017 or 2018, but is then withdrawn before 1(1) comes into effect, any subsidised replacement service shall be exempt until 1st January 2020, to allow time for procurement of Euro V vehicles or equivalent.
(3) A bus with an engine type-approved as meeting the Euro IV standard for all emissions may continue to be used on services in the streets affected until 1 January 2020 only if the Local Authority has certified that the bus was already in use on services in the streets affected between 1st October 2016 and 1st April 2017.
i) To qualify for this exemption, operators must have nominated buses for exemption in writing to the Transport Commissioner no later than 1st January 2017.
ii) Operators may be asked to provide written records or other evidence to satisfy county council officers that each bus was in use on services in the streets affected during the qualifying period.
(4) If a service is run commercially, using Euro IV buses under exemption 3(3) during 2017 or 2018, but is then withdrawn before 3(3) ceases, any subsidised replacement service shall be exempt until 1st January 2020, to allow time for procurement of Euro V vehicles.
4 Use of Engines while Stationary
(1) At any bus stop, bus stand or layover place in the streets affected, the driver should switch off the engine upon arrival and not restart it until ready to depart, and will be in breach of this condition if the bus stands for over 60 seconds with the engine running AND either:
a) the bus arrives more than one minute before it is scheduled to depart OR;
b) there are more than 20 persons waiting at the stop at the time of arrival of the bus OR;
c) the bus is stationary for more than one minute without boarding or alighting passengers.
(2) All local bus services operating within the affected streets shall be subject to 4(1) from the date on which this Bill commences, irrespective of frequency or engine type.
a) The delay until 2020 and the exemptions applicable to 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), and 3(4) shall not apply to 4(1) or 4(2).
5 Penalties
(1) Transport providers failing to meet requirements by 1st January 2020 will receive a fine of £5,000 per offence.
6 Amendments
(1) To section 1(4) of the Sustainability Incentives Act 2016 shall be added: "12. Catalytic converters."
(2) Section 2(2)2 of the Sustainability Incentives Act 2016 shall be amended to read: "Specified energy saving materials permanently installed in residential/charity premises or vehicles.
7 Extent, Commencement and Short Title
(1) This Act extends to the Cities outlined in Schedule I.
(2) The provisions of this Act come into force on 1st October 2016.
(3) This Act may be cited as the LEZ Act 2016.
SCHEDULE I
The following City Councils (or Metropolitan Boroughs) will be required to adhere to the provisions introduced by this act:
Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Sheffield, Bradford, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Wakefield, Cardiff, Coventry, Leicester, Sunderland, Belfast, Newcastle upon Tyne, Brighton, Hull, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Derby, Swansea, Southampton, Salford.
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The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) scheme will be established to introduce the uptake of cleaner greener busses, leading to reductions in pollution emissions and improved air quality. Oxford City Council, together with Oxfordshire County Council have already developed a LEZ over a number of years, including assessments highlighting the need to reduce the impact of vehicle generated emissions, with relative success. All local bus services within the streets affected must be operated exclusively by buses whose engines meet the Euro V emission standard (for nitrogen oxides (NOx)), either as a new engine or a vehicle that has been retrofitted with equipment to reduce emissions in order to achieve the Euro V standard (for Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)). Nottingham is exempt as a Low Emission Zone is currently in place in the city centre.
V1031 is amended so catalytic converters are not taxed.