A NEW action plan which puts tough rules on polluting buses at the heart of work to improve air quality in York has been criticised by environmental campaigners.
Last week, York's Third Air Quality Action plan was adopted by the city council, confirming plans to create a Clean Air Zone which will restrict the use of diesel bus engines which emit harmful fumes.
The plan - which says as many as 160 people die prematurely in York each year because of poor air quality - was approved by the council cabinet members for transport and the environment, Cllrs David Levene and Dave Merrett, on Thursday, October 30. Already their Green party council colleague Cllr Andy D'Agorne has condemned it as "weak and ineffectual".
He said that although the plan is right in identifying buses and lorries as a key source of the dangerous diesel fumes, it does not go far enough to reduce the fumes.
The Clean Air Zone which will only affect park and ride and other high-frequency buses in the city centre, Cllr D'Agorne added, leaving small bus operators which pass through the city centre free to run more polluting engines, and delivery lorries with no restrictions at all.
He also said the although the "anti-idling" zones designed to stop engines being left running at places like the Rougier Street bus interchange are commendable, the sanctions against offenders are too weak.
He added: "Diesel engines left running for minutes at stops like Rougier St are a significant waste of fuel as well as contributing to the NO2 levels that are in breach of the hourly average threshold. The council should install signs to remind bus drivers of the need to switch off if they are waiting at a timed stop in the Air Quality action areas."
But, the action plans says that by 2018 the Clean Air Zone would see more than 80 percent of all bus trips in York would be by low emission buses.
And the report which went to the two cabinet members, by principal environmental protection officer Liz Bates, cited national figures which say 4.8 percent of all deaths in York can be blamed on man-made air pollution, just under the national average of 5.1 percent.
It goes on to say: “Poor air quality puts the health of York’s residents at risk, creates an unpleasant environment for visitors and may damage historic buildings.”
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