All buses in Cov should be free, says councillor

ALL buses in Coventry should be free to use, a councillor has said.

Labour councillor Pervez Akhtar made the call during a cabinet meeting discussing the council’s bid to tackle high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

He said: “There is no doubt our pollution is killing us throughout our country - 40,000 deaths and 1,200 deaths in the West Midlands.

“If we are serious and this government is serious of tackling our pollution then they have to put the resources and money where their mouth is.

“You have to take the cars off the road and to take the cars of the road we need improved buses, free buses. As a political leadership, the public buses should be free.

“If we seriously want to tackle congestion and pollution, in the long-run, we need to take cars off the roads and make buses free for everybody.”

Leader of the council, Cllr George Duggins distanced himself from the calls, and made it clear to cabinet members that this was his own ‘personal view.’

The council is under severe pressure to reduce its N02 levels as the city is forecast to exceed legal limits in 2021.

Proposals in the £83 million plan include encouraging the use of electric-powered taxis, retrofitting cleaner engines on 100 buses, introducing new walking and cycling routes, carrying out road layout improvements, and closing Coundon Road.

Cabinet unanimously agreed to submit its outline business case to tackle high levels of pollution in Coventry to the government this week.