Oxford Council announces low emissions zone
Suzanne Lovell
The city and county councils want to introduce a new Low Emission Zone in Oxford in which all buses must meet environmental standards.
All buses that use the LEZ must meet Euro 6 standards for vehicles. The council said they show a 99.5 per cent reduction in nitrogen emissions compared to other vehicles with the Euro 5 classification.
Transport already counts for 75 per cent of emissions in the city centre. More of half of that is estimated to come from polluting buses.
Tens of thousands of people in the UK are estimated to die from the effects of pollution a year.
Tom Hayes, Oxford City Council’s Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford, said: “This new Low Emission Zone will be a life-saver. Vehicles are polluting our air and making people sick.
"This council has to slash pollution levels in order to prevent ill health and stop early death, and the bus operators have a role to play."
There are four places in the city centre where nitrogen dioxide levels have been recorded above the legal limit.
They include St Clement's Street and High Street. The LEZ will include those hotspots.
Local buses will need to meet at least the Euro 6 standard for oxides of nitrogen by the end of December 2020.
All of other buses operating in the city will need to be a Euro 6 standard by December 2022.
Streets affected by the Oxford Low Emission Zone Traffic Regulation Condition are……read full article here.
Souce: https://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/17684794.councils-announce-low-emissions-zone/
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