THE Low Emission Zone in Glasgow will reduce pollution and help tackle health inequalities, the councillor in charge of the scheme has said.

On June 1, enforcement of phase two of the LEZ begins which means the most polluting vehicles are not allowed in the city centre.

In a spotlight series, the Glasgow Times this week is looking at the LEZ, what it means and why it is being enforced.

READ MORE: Spotlight: Glasgow's new LEZ coming soon. Here's what you need to know

Today we speak to Angus Millar, Glasgow City Council convener for climate and transport, on why the LEZ is in place in the city.

Glasgow Times:

He said pollution is a social justice issue and Glasgow is doing what has worked in other cities, and is now doing something it should have done many years ago to tackle the city’s poor record on clean air.

Councillor Millar said: “We estimate around 300 people a year in the city, 2000 across Scotland, die as a result of the implications of air pollution.

“Many thousands more people in the city have long-term health conditions.”

The first phase targeted buses, he said, as they were the main cause of pollution in the worst city centre hotspots.

He said: “That was important because a lot of the highest concentrations of air pollution in the city centre in 2018 were actually major bus corridors, for example Hope Street, which was bandied about as the dirtiest street in Scotland.

“Now, buses are wholly meeting standards within the low emission zone.”

The bus phase has had an impact on pollution levels but is still not good enough to meet legal requirements.

Councillor Millar said: “At key locations, there has been marked improvement, like Hope Street.

“But we still see there are illegally high levels of air pollution.

“We were supposed to, as a city, meet these standards two decades ago in terms of the statutory levels.

“Vehicle emissions are the main driver for that.”

The councillor said that there may be a “misconception” that people need a new car or electric vehicle to enter the zone, adding cars aged up to 16 years for petrol and eight years old for diesel are likely to meet the standards.

He urged people to use the LEZ vehicle checker HERE.

While it may be viewed as a transport issue, he said the motivation is health.

He said: “Glasgow is a city where health inequalities are related to poverty. We know these air pollution hotspots are exacerbating existing health conditions and creating new conditions.

“This is absolutely a social justice issue because people in the city who are experiencing these inequalities, from more deprived areas, are the ones who are disproportionately bearing the brunt of this air pollution.”

Glasgow is not alone in having a Low Emission Zone.

Councillor Millar said there are around 500 LEZs in cities across Europe.

He added: “To my understanding almost all the LEZs, or Clean Air Zones as they’re sometimes called, have shown progress and success.”

He added: “There’s nothing Glasgow is doing on air quality, promoting active travel, creating greener spaces, dealing with air pollution, that other cities haven’t already successfully embarked upon."

Glasgow, he said, is following other cities in establishing a low emission zone, adding: “We know this is going to work. It’s worked elsewhere.”