Charging for road use would do more to improve the UK’s air quality than introducing low-emission zones in big cities, according to a government study.
Commissioned by environment ministers as part of a review of national air strategy, the work suggests introducing LEZs in London and seven other cities would not provide value-for-money in cost-benefit terms.
A national road-pricing scheme, however, could generate annual net benefits of around £200M, in terms of air quality alone, apart from the positive impacts on noise and traffic congestion. Breaches of the 2004 PM10 limits near urban roads would be cut by about two thirds in 2020.
The impact of LEZs would still be significant, giving a one-third reduction, and should be considered by local authorities – together with lower speed limits, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
‘Further restrictions on speed limits are not cost-effective when applied nationally, but their feasibility in certain limited local areas needs to be investigated further,’ it reports. But cleaner engines offer the biggest potential for improving air quality, the study suggests.
A further tightening of Euro emission standards would have the greatest impact on levels of particles – halving the number of times the 2010 objective PM10 limits are exceeded by 2020, and eliminating daily breaches. Providing incentives for motorists to buy cleaner vehicles before they are legally required would bring those benefits forward, and increase their annual value to £1.25bn.
Measures to reduce emissions from small combustion plants and ships were also commended. These and cleaner vehicle initiatives were included in a package that environment minister, ~Ben Bradshaw~ said could see an increase in average life expectancy of three months by 2020. Current pollution levels reduce life spans by eight months. Road pricing was omitted, perhaps reflecting its sensitivity as a possible plank of long-term transport strategy.
Freight Transport Association chief executive, ~Richard Turner~ warned that national and international moves could overlap local schemes, such as LEZs, increasing costs unnecessarily.
A spokesman for ~Transport for London~ currently consulting on a LEZ for 2008, said: ‘In the absence of any other national initiatives, an LEZ is the most effective option for reducing harmful road transport-generated emissions in London between 2008 and 2015.’ City authorities were waiting to see the impact and costs of the London scheme, said a spokesman for the National Society for Clean Air.
DEFRA’s consultation continues until 11 July. : www.defra.gov.uk