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The Clean Air Act; Catching Up!


Kulveer Ranger, Mayor of London’s Director of Environment.


This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, a seminal piece of legislation in response to the infamous pea-souper fogs that blighted London's skyline over that decade. Those pollution smogs claimed the lives of several thousand people and caused widespread ill- health prompting a series of enlightened reforms. Whilst air quality has of course improved significantly since those times, at the start of the 21st century, pollution remains a serious health concern. Our research shows that poor air quality shortens the lives of an estimated 4,300 people in London every year. This is why the Mayor, Boris Johnson is determined to tackle pollution and improve the capital's environment as part of his vision to bring the best of the village back into the city creating a cleaner, greener and more civilised capital. Cleaning up the air of a major city like London, with almost eight million people - and growing - is no easy task and a challenge confronting policy makers around the globe.


Road transport emissions are responsible for around 80 per cent of tiny airborne pollutants (PM10) in central London and around half of NOx emissions across the capital. Measures in the Mayor's Air Quality Strategy, published last year, will lead to PM10 emissions in central London falling by around a third and NOx emissions across London by a similar amount (from 2008 levels) over the next three years.


Our approach is to encourage low and zero technology vehicles whilst deterring the oldest and most polluting. We are determined to create cleaner public vehicles and provide Londoners with a wealth of greener travel choices. In addition, we are targeting pollution 'hotspots' with an intensive blast of interventions. On top of this, our programme of urban greening - increased tree cover and vegetation - has the multiple benefit of making the city more beautiful and better at absorbing pollutants.


CLEANING UP CITY VEHICLES: We have one of the most comprehensive bus networks in the world, carrying over 6.5 million people daily. But buses are also responsible for around 20 per cent of NOx emissions in central London. We believe it is only right we clean up public vehicles in order to set the standard we demand of others. We already have one of the cleanest fleets in Europe, but we are going even further. The Mayor has developed a bus that will set a global standard


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in eco-transport. The New Bus for London is going to reintroduce the best of the traditional Routemaster – passengers can hop on and hop off and the greenest possible engine technology. It will incorporate the latest hybrid technology and will be both 40 per cent more fuel efficient than conventional diesel buses and 15 per cent more fuel efficient than current hybrid buses. It has been designed so that air quality emissions will be reduced by 40 per cent for NOx and 33 per cent for PM emissions when compared with conventional diesel buses. The first prototypes will be on the streets early next year.


These new buses will join one of Europe's largest existing fleet of hybrid vehicles, which will number 300 hybrid buses by 2012. TfL is also carrying out a trial that will see 18 buses retrofitted with specialist equipment to tackle NOx pollution.


London also boasts the UK's only zero emission bus route thanks to a pioneering batch of five hydrogen vehicles running through the most polluted parts of the capital. Three more will join this unique fleet by the end of the year. These buses emit only water and they refuel at a site in east London, that we are keen to use as a catalyst to encourage even more hydrogen vehicles.


Our black cabs are iconic, instantly recognised across the world and renowned for their excellent customer service. We want to ensure they are also known for their green credentials, as currently they contribute around a quarter of PM10 emissions in central London. The oldest, more polluting black cabs will lose their licence to operate, under tough new standards. From 1 January 2012 no black cab over 15 years old will be licensed by the Taxi and Private Hire Office. There are around 1,200 which are likely to be more than 15 years old in 2012. The Mayor will introduce a requirement for all new taxis entering the fleet to meet the strictest vehicles standard from 1 April 2012. In addition, from January 2012 all aspiring cabbies will also be required to take a mandatory eco-driving course. Helping cabbies to drive more efficiently will not only help them to save money at a time when fuel prices are rising, but also reduce emissions of pollutants and carbon dioxide. The Mayor and TfL have also announced


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