Poorer households will be offered £2,000 to “safely dispose” of their high-pollution cars to help with Scotland’s climate change targets.
The Mobility and Scrappage Fund is a new pot of £900,000 that will be piloted in “lower income areas and air quality management areas” across Scotland, and in island communities.
As well as a cash grant of £2,000 in return for getting rid of more polluting vehicles, the fund will also offer people scrapping their old motors £500 “Travel Better” grants.
These Scottish Government grants can be used to purchase “a range of sustainable travel options”, including bikes, ebikes and vouchers for public transport like buses and trains.
The initiative is designed to encourage “a shift away from cars”, and is part of the government’s ambitions to reduce the distances travelled by Scots in cars by 20% by 2030.
Who can take advantage of this new £2,000 offer for high-pollution cars in Scotland, and what are the criteria?
This pilot project is only targeting areas outside of Low Emission Zone cities, so Aberdeen will be excluded.
You can only take advantage of the new funding if you are in receipt of benefits, and you live inside one of Scotland’s designated air quality management areas.
Regions across the north and north-east where you can apply include around Peterhead and Fraserburgh, Inverness, Forres and Skye.
It also includes all of Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles.
Here is a full map of eligible areas, highlighted in the darker green:
You can find out if your car fits the bill and more information about applying, including the benefits criteria, here.
Transport Minister says she looks forward to meeting people who take the £2,000 deal to scrap their old cars
Jenny Gilruth, the Scottish Government’s transport minister, said the fund is “aimed at those that need help most”, and the cash pot will help to remove some of the worst-polluting vehicles in Scotland from our roads.
She said the new scheme will help to “protect public health and improve air quality”, and, in combination with the Low Emission Zone Support Fund, she argues the Scottish Government is supporting people to “move to new travel patterns and achieve our climate change ambitions at the same time”.
The minister added: “In the coming months, I look forward to meeting with people who have benefitted from the scheme who will be enjoying more sustainable forms of transport.”
