Leeds City Council is urging coach and bus operators to engage with its consultation into the introduction of a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the city, which could start next year.
The consultation closes on 2 March.
The proposed zone covers the city’s core, within the outer ring road, with the exception of the section of the M621 that runs through the zone.
Says Daniel Gascoigne
of Leeds City Council’s Air Quality Consultation Team: “I encourage routeone readers to take part so that all views can be heard, and influence the future development of the Clean Air Zone plans in Leeds.”
The proposals only cover some commercial vehicles, which will have to be Euro 6 for diesel and Euro 4 for petrol. Non-compliant vehicles will face a daily charge of £100 for coaches, buses and trucks, or £12.50 for taxis.
Leeds – and 28 other local authorities across the country – has been identified by the government as needing to introduce solutions to meet legal air pollution limits and improve air quality. Nitrogen dioxide (NOx) is the key pollutant of concern.
A start date for the CAZ has yet to be set, and the consultation does not give one. The Council says this is “primarily because we are in the consultation phase and so no plans are finalised.
“The guidance we have been given is that it has to be implemented ‘as soon as possible’ – with the end of 2019 being the absolute deadline, or we could face action from central government and environmental pressure groups such as Client Earth who have already taken the government to court three times.
“As such, we are working to hit the latter deadline as a minimum.”
Consultation at http://www.leeds.gov.uk/Business/Pages/Air-quality.aspx
