THE Government’s continual failure to commit to a clean air strategy has resulted in York, once again, in serious breach of World Health Organisation air quality targets.

The station entrance saw pollution reaching over 50 per cent above maximum levels, and then the routes into the city centre followed closely behind.

Fifteen locations in all failed the test.

Premature death, respiratory and cardiovascular disease can all be attributed to car, lorry, bus and van emissions, and that means our friends and families too.

The council leadership’s lack of ambition to address congestion and actively drive for modal shift is affecting us all.

All the evidence shows that if you can improve public transport and facilitate safe walking and cycling spaces, then swapping the car for a bike or bus means you become part of the solution.

As a Shadow Transport Minister, I have been studying the best examples across Europe as to how we change our ways and our systems to create car free spaces, and believe that York should be a leading city to demonstrate what can be done.

I know that the Labour councillors in York share this ambition and will make it a reality from next May.

It is deeply concerning that the current Tory/Lib Dem administration are signing off plans that will only exacerbate this problem without putting in place any mitigation.

This lack of vision will compound congestion and will result in more street parking.

Public transport must be accessible and affordable and Labour will drive this change through municipal ownership, making buses free for under 25 year olds and pensioners.

This in itself will be a huge game changer, so if you live in and around York you will be able to commute or pop into the city on public transport.

The main arteries of Britain’s transport system, trains, will be under a new model of public ownership so that every penny is reinvested back into passenger services, unlike the waste we see today.

The chaos so many rail commuters have experienced this summer is completely unacceptable and the Secretary of State, Chris Grayling, is fully responsible for it.

First he changed the plans for the Trans Pennine Route and Northern services which resulted in the timetable meltdown where passengers were left stranded at stations, and then added insult to injury to announce fare rises to pay for the compensation passengers would receive.

The public are rightly angry.

If every child can be taught to ride a bike and given access to one, and the city ensured safe cycle zones, then the school run could be very different.

With electric bikes now coming on the market, more and more people are leaving their cars behind and Labour’s investment in walking and cycling, active travel, will make it possible, for people across the city to make the transition from car to bike.

We all need to decide how we are going to help cut air pollution.

We will be healthier, save money and together make York a far more pleasant place to live in.

I call on the council to think again before they build more multi-storey car parks and pass plans which will exacerbate the problem, and instead urge them to follow Labour’s ambition and make alternative transport accessible to all.