INVISIBLE KILLER
REVEALED: SHOCKING TRUTH OF REGION’S POLLUTION CRISIS:
THE M.E.N. can reveal for the first time the true extent of Greater Manchester’s lethal pollution crisis – and now you can see if you are living on one of the 152 deadliest roads.
This new map shows in red all the areas of Greater Manchester where nitrogen dioxide, mainly caused by vehicle fumes, is at illegal levels.
In orange, are the stretches of road that are on the cusp of breaching them. Nitrogen dioxide is one of a raft of air pollutants considered ‘silent killers’ linked to 1,200 deaths a year in Greater Manchester. Out of more than 150 roads with illegally high levels of the gas, many are lined with homes, schools and hospitals and are in the most deprived areas of the conurbation.
They are featured in a new report revealing pollution levels are far higher and widespread than initially thought. A previous government estimate identified just 12 problem areas, but the research by Transport for Greater Manchester now shows the crisis to be more than 10 times as great.
The region is one of the worst places in the country to live when it comes to clean air.
Coun Alex Ganotis, the town hall chief in charge of air quality for the region, has labelled pollution an ‘invisible killer.’
He added: “It’s not like in the 1950s when we had smog. You could see the issue there.”
And, leaders admit, it makes the introduction of ‘wide-ranging’ charges on drivers of high-polluting vehicles, including diesel cars, HGVs and most of our buses, more likely.
Carried out locally by transport and council leaders, the mapmodelling looking at levels of nitrogen dioxide – produced mostly by diesel vehicles – is more sophisticated than previous studies and includes factors like Manchester’s tall buildings which ‘lock in’ poisonous gases, and the wind direction, which blows pollution to the north and east of the region.
It does not include motorways like the M60, which are outside the councils’ jurisdiction.
Along with particulates – also coughed up in noxious exhaust fumes – nitrogen dioxide is a major cause of bronchitis, asthma, heart problems and cancer. Children and older people are particularly susceptible. The analysis will be considered by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority so leaders can continue with a Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan, aiming to meet targets by 2021.
Options on the table still include introducing Clean Air Zones where drivers of the most-polluting vehicles could be charged. A final decision on this is yet to be made and mayor Mayor Andy Burnham has promised in the past not to charge individual motorists. But it may be the only option radical enough to make a difference.
Cities including Birmingham and Leeds – where pollution levels are not as bad as Greater Manchester’s – are already progressing their clean-air zones, roads where certain drivers have to pay to enter.
In initial draft plans for Greater Manchester, diesel cars from 2015 onwards would not be penalised, nor would petrol cars from 2005.
But during a briefing on the report, Coun Ganotis warned any charging zones would have to be ‘wide-ranging’ to avoid the problem ‘moving to other areas.’
Simon Warburton, TfGM strategy director, said: “There are fundamental differences between a clean air zone and congestion charging.
Congestion charging is about applying charges to all vehicles, it’s about achieving a certain amount of switch but also revenue.
“That is not what we have been asked to look at here. This is about penalties with the goal about