Portsmouth City Council (PCC) has approved a proposal for the introduction of a Class B Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the city.
It will call for a charge to be payable by operators of coaches and buses that do not satisfy Euro 6 emission levels. Cars and light goods vehicles are exempt under the plans. PCC says that a Class B CAZ will not tackle the problem on its own.
Because of that, it plans to introduce additional non-charging measures to bring air quality to a compliant level by 2022.
Among them may be an anti-idling campaign along with support to convert buses on the main A2047 road. It runs the length of Portsea Island and proposals involved biofuel, electric or hybrid power.
That will require the “commitment” of operators. There is no suggestion yet whether PCC will make any money available to assist affected operators transition to Euro 6 compliance.
There is also no confirmation whether the CAZ will encompass routes to Portsmouth ferry port. Also unknown is whether any exemption would apply to vehicles going directly to or from there to the M275.
PCC says it is keen to avoid the imposition of a Class D CAZ. That would involve the charging of non-compliant cars to enter. PCC’s plans to introduce a Class B CAZ will now be submitted to the government’s Joint Air Quality Unit. It will confirm the approach to be taken.
“Our analysis has shown that a Class B CAZ, with additional measures, will achieve the level of compliance needed to ensure the health and wellbeing of people in our city while not impacting the economy,” says Cllr Dave Ashmore, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change.
