Cardiff council needs to consider road charging to curb air pollution

Cardiff council needs to consider traffic charging to curb air pollution

Sustrans welcomes council’s leadership on walking and cycling but warns transport problems risks creating a ‘tale of two cities’ in Cardiff

Sustrans Cymru (1), Wales’ leading walking and cycling charity has today (Thursday 15 March 2018) called on council leaders to consider charging certain vehicles in a bid to reduce air pollution.  Research from the National Assembly (2) shows Cardiff has some of the worst air quality in the UK and is behind other major cities like Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.  Transport is the main contributor for the majority of air quality limit breaches in the UK, and Sustrans is calling on the council to look at new measures to reduce the number of motorised vehicles on the city’s roads.  The call comes ahead of an expected council consultation on the future of transport in the city.

Sustrans has previously praised Cardiff council for the leadership it has shown on greening the city’s transport system (3), but urged the local authority to go further.  The charity fears the air quality crisis will disproportionately hit vulnerable people living in poorer parts of the city and risked creating a tale of two cities.

Following a recent court ruling (4), Welsh Government may direct Cardiff council to introduce a Clean Air Zone (5) in Cardiff which could see charges applied to motorised vehicles in the city.  Sustrans is calling on the council to look at charging options and ways any money generated could be ploughed back into making public transport more convenient and affordable.

Figures from Cardiff & the Vale NHS Board (6) show large health inequalities within the area.  The average life expectancy of a man in one of the city’s poor wards in the south is 11 years below a man living in the more affluent north.  The health body noted that over half of all adults in the area (54%) are overweight or obese, and backed calls for a Clean Air Zone to cut pollution, and greater investment in walking and cycling.

Steve Brooks, National Director for Sustrans Cymru said:

“Cardiff is the UK’s fastest growing city after London but that success has brought more and more traffic.  We know transport is the biggest cause of air pollution and it’s the city’s most vulnerable residents who will suffer the most.

“Cardiff is not alone in facing these problems.  Other cities around the world are developing plans to reduce traffic in a bid to curb congestion and cut air pollution.  We know that schemes like road charging and workplace parking levies can play a role, and it’s time Cardiff council gave such ideas serious thought.

“If we are to help people leave the car at home and take greener, healthier options to get about the city, then we also need to invest more in walking, cycling and public transport.  If charging is introduced, any money raised should go straight back into the transport budget.”