Tolls to go ahead despite cleaner air
A BIG FALL IN POLLUTION WON’T LEAD TO DROPPING OF CAZ PLAN
A MAJOR drop in traffic pollution because of the Covid pandemic will not put an end to £50-a-day clean air tolls proposed for Newcastle city centre, a transport boss has confirmed.
Graham Grant, Newcastle City Council’s assistant director of transport, told councillors the controversial Clean Air Zone plans will not be axed due to “much lower” roadside pollution levels as people stayed at home during lockdowns.
The CAZ, which had been due to come into force in January but has been delayed, will see buses, coaches, and lorries which do not meet environmental standards hit with £50 daily tolls to drive into the city centre.
Some taxis and vans will also be charged £12.50 fees but private cars will be exempt.
Council bosses designed the scheme in response to a Government order to bring down illegally high levels of emissions in pollution hotspots.
The city’s roadside nitrogen dioxide levels were, however, substantially reduced in 2020 because of the pandemic’s impact, Mr Grant displaying figures which showed roughly a 20% drop.
Mr Grant confirmed such a reduction has no bearing on the need for a CAZ because the improved air quality will need to be maintained once Covid restrictions are lifted.
He told the council’s overview and scrutiny committee: “One of the questions we have been asked by Hackney carriage and private hire drivers was that, if air was really clean in 2020, does that mean we don’t have to deliver the Clean Air Zone anymore?
“Equally, people ask if us having left the EU has any bearing on what was an EU regulation.
“The answer to both of those things is no. Us exiting the EU does not make a difference to what has been transposed into UK law, which is the same targets we have to meet.
“Even if air quality levels were reached in 2020 because of the pandemic, what you have to do is reach it and maintain that level through.”
Mr Grant revealed current traffic volumes are around 21% down on this time last year - but 74% higher than during the first lockdown in 2020.
The city council says it hopes to start imposing the road tolls later this year.
The delay on the CAZ being introduced has been blamed on the Government being “ill-prepared” and an unsuccessful legal challenge, which saw the council taken to the High Court by a company which lost a procurement bid to provide the automatic number plate recognition cameras needed for the CAZ to function.