‘I can’t believe the public will take this lying down’

OPPONENTS have slammed a “massive political cop-out and an abject failure of political leadership” over a potential new toll for high polluting vehicles on Tyneside roads.

Councils in Newcastle, Gateshead, and North Tyneside revealed yesterday that none of the possible clean air charging zones they are considering would have the desired effect of reducing nitrogen dioxide emissions to legal levels by 2021.

The three councils are subject to a directive from the Government to clean up the air in pollution hotspots around the region – including the Central Motorway and the Coast Road – but are now urging ministers to pursue other measures such as better investment in public transport, rather than imposing a mooted £12.50 per day ‘toxin tax’.

However, Newcastle’s Lib Dem opposition has slammed the authorities for not finding a solution of their own.

Coun Greg Stone, opposition transport spokesman, said: “The statement by the three councils is a massive political cop-out and an abject failure of political leadership on this issue.

“Other cities are dealing with the same challenges and the likes of Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, and Birmingham are consulting on their clean air charging proposals for polluting diesel emissions, not making excuses.

“We recognise that the A1 Western Bypass needs a national Highways Agency approach, but Newcastle, Gateshead, and North Tyneside had the opportunity to set out how they proposed to reduce emissions on the local network without a clean air charging scheme and have failed to do so.

“The Lib Dem Opposition believes they could and should be pursuing practical interventions such as expanding park and ride provision from the A1 and A19 corridors, banning HGVs from the city centre, and setting a transition timetable for switching to low emission buses and taxis.

“Similar measures elsewhere have achieved significant reductions in NOx emissions on major bus routes, which we know have the most air pollution.

“Nobody wants a tax for the sake of it, but the direction of travel is clear: poor air quality is affecting public health, we need action to tackle emissions, and we need to discourage diesel emissions which massively outweigh those from cleaner fuels.

“The councils have no coherent plan for tackling this issue and their inadequate response runs a very real risk that the Government will now impose a charging regime on Tyneside.

“We can only presume that this is a cynical decision on their part to ensure that the Conservative Government is seen as forcing the issue, rather than taking a lead as metro mayors such as Andy Burnham are doing.”

Taxi drivers have voiced their opposition to any tolls being imposed, saying it will result in rising fares for passengers.

John Hirst, of the Newcastle Hackney Carriage Drivers Association, said: “I can’t believe that the public are going to take this lying down and without some kind of civil unrest.”

An online petition set up by the taxi drivers to oppose a charging zone now has almost 2,000 signatures.

Public transport users have argued that any toll must be imposed on cars as well as buses.

Alistair Ford, chairman of Newcastle Public Transport Users Group, said: “Any charging zone that hit bus users without similarly charging owners of private vehicles would send completely the wrong message and put even more pressure on struggling bus services.

“We have been calling for the councils to consider other measures, such as a Workplace Parking Levy, that have been successful elsewhere in the country in tipping the balance in favour of sustainable travel.

“Things like the Newcastle ‘alive after five’ scheme, which offers free parking for car drivers but nothing to help those who rely on public transport, must also be reconsidered.”