Kentish Express Ashford & District
Get on board with green message, says bus firm
Stagecoach highlights effects of traffic fumes on our health
A bus company is bringing its fight against air pollution to Ashford town centre tomorrow (Friday).
Stagecoach is setting up a Green Stall in Bank Street from 10am.
This is part of the company’s annual Green Week, which has been running throughout this week.
It aims to highlight the effects of traffic fumes, stressing that one double decker bus could take up to 75 cars off the road.
As global concern grows over increasing pollution in towns and cities, the company says that urgent action is needed by central and local government to tackle a public health emergency.
Recent research shows that too many cars and worsening traffic congestion is a major contributor to the 40,000 to 50,000 early deaths a year in the UK from air pollution. The problem is linked to cancer, asthma, strokes, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and dementia, with children, the elderly and the poorest in society are most at risk.
It also causes a financial cost to the country of more than £20bn a year.
Stagecoach South East managing director Philip Norwell said: “Public transport has a crucial role to play in helping Britain beat the scourge of traffic congestion, pollution and poor air quality. We urgently need our politicians to take tough action on congestion to free up road space and let buses flourish.”
To tackle the problem, Stagecoach is calling for measures such as continued investment by public transport operators in cleaner vehicle technologies, tougher tax regimes and use of clean air zones to target vehicles and journeys which contribute most to pollution, clearer promotion of switching from cars to public transport as the best way to tackle both road snarlups and pollution and targeted investment in bus priority measures and better transport interchanges.
Recent research has shown that Britain’s roads are now the most congested in Europe and that time wasted in the UK’s worst traffic jams will cost motorists £62bn by 2025.
To encourage people to use public transport Stagecoach wants politicians and local authorities to free up road space and provide bus priority measures.