It is not the first and it will not be the last, but today’s (Wednesday) Leeds City Council Executive Board, is expected to approve a consultation that will bring in a tough Clean Air Zone (CAZ) by 2020.
Over the next few months, we can expect a raft of CAZ consultations. And, like Leeds, the focus will be on targeting coaches, buses, lorries and taxis. Private cars will be excluded from most plans, as the government fears a motorist backlash.
In Leeds the proposal is to introduce a CAZ in the city centre, with the Outer Ring Road/motorway as the boundary. Vehicles using the ring road will not be included.
The minimum standards will be Euro 6 for diesel and Euro 4 for petrol. Non-compliant vehicles will have to pay daily charges. Buses, coaches and lorries will be £100; other vehicles will be £12.50 per day.
The Leeds CAZ consultation will run from January to February 2018. After the results from the consultation have been analysed, a final report will be submitted to the Government towards the end of the summer of 2018 for it to sign off the final proposal.
The council already has more low emissions vehicles than any other local authority in England. It will also developing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure for the city enable its own fleet (including refuse vehicles) to switch to CNG as well as helping commercial fleet operators to do the same.
It will encourage car drivers to switch to ultra-low emissions vehicles (ULEVs) by offering free parking to ULEVS in the council’s city centre car parks and 86 charging points across the city for electric vehicles.
There will be a focus on encouraging greater use of public transport with “major investments” in bus and rail infrastructure including new rail stations and two bus park and ride facilities.
First West Yorkshire has pledged to invest £71m to bring forward delivery of 284 Euro 6 buses for its Leeds fleet by the end of 2020 as part of the new strategy.
The council is working with West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) to bid for the next round of the Clean Bus Technology Fund, with up to £3m available per authority with a focus on ensuring all buses entering Leeds will be compliant with CAZ standards.
Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Operations Director Keith McNally says: “CPT is disappointed to learn about plans from Leeds City Council to introduce a £100 daily charge for non-Euro 6 coaches and buses entering the central area in Leeds.
“The introduction of a CAZ which penalises PSVs will have a detrimental effect on both coach and bus operations and also visitor numbers to the city.
“In recent years, operators in West Yorkshire have made substantial investments in newer, cleaner fleets and the vehicles on the road are now more environmentally friendly than they have ever been.
“CPT and local operators will continue to engage with Leeds City Council to ensure that the benefits of bus and coach travel are recognised as being a solution to improving air quality, and not simply one of the causes. We remain hopeful that a sensible outcome can be reached.”
First West Yorkshire MD Paul Matthews says: “As one of the major bus operators in the city we understand the vital role we play in helping to find solutions to reduce air pollution.
“We are continuing to invest in new Euro 6 vehicles for West Yorkshire, which are compliant with the Leeds CAZ proposal and we have pledged to invest £71m in 284 new vehicles for Leeds, over the next three years.
“We have also worked alongside the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and other operators to bid for government funding for retro-fitting of the remaining vehicles that will not comply with the Leeds CAZ proposal.
“Road congestion continues to be one of the biggest issues facing bus services and so it’s important that alongside this new low emissions proposal that we continue to work with the local authorities and other bus operators to encourage less car usage across the city and entice more people to travel by bus.”
Report at http://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/documents/s168257/Air%20Quality%20Cover%20Report%20031217.pdf
