Comment: How do we address air quality without choking off the economy?

25/08/2017 | HIGHWAYS REPORTERS

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, gives his analysis of the difficult issues surrounding the nation’s air quality.


How on earth should we tackle our air quality challenge without choking off our economy? That would be a tough enough challenge even without Brexit to add another layer of angst to the situation.



The Government’s latest, revised and expanded air quality strategy tries to tread this tightrope but to date the audience isn’t exactly applauding the 103-page document – accompanied by a 155-page technical report – that together are longer on words than detail.


And therein lies the rub for highways authorities caught up in the breach of EU air quality limits – how much of the remedy should be determined nationally and how much left to local discretion? The answer appears to be that everything is devolved, with councils drawing up ultra-focused plans down to individual street level. Only if these plans don’t add up will national government intervene to impose solutions.


Which makes for a pretty confusing picture for the average motorist. Save for mayor Sadiq Khan’s aggressive plans for London, you’d be hard pressed to find any maps showing where restrictions might apply, any detail of what the restrictions will be, and ongoing confusion about which specific vehicles will be caught.


There is much to be said for taking a ‘surgical’ approach to solving problems, as environment secretary Michael Gove said on the BBC’s Today programme but sometimes the patient would be better off with a single general anaesthetic rather than enduring sixteen different local injections. As transport professionals we might be completely comfortable distinguishing between the implications of an AQMA, an LEZ, a ULEZ and a CAZ. But surely we should be able to simplify things for the road user, in particular fleet operators who might routinely be navigating through multiple schemes?


If only we could sweep the problem away with one swift scrappage scheme. We’ve had scrappage before, after all. At least one of the auto companies is running a scheme currently with, depending on the dealership, up to £3,000 on the table.


Unfortunately that still leaves the buyer with around £10,000 to find, or more if they want a bigger car. Not really tenable for a low-income household running a several-year old diesel that they rely on to drop the kids at the childminder’s on the way to work.


There’s much talk of older, dirtier diesels, and it’s true, the older cars are a bit dirtier. The trouble is, all but the very latest cars aren’t that much cleaner when it comes to NOx. That’s the legacy of an emissions regime that led to some very specific engineering to meet laboratory test thresholds without due regard to what would then happen in real-world driving conditions.


There are diesel cars coming to market now with emissions performance good enough to shame their petrol counterparts, and the new real-world test regime is tantalisingly close. But 11 million-plus diesel cars amounts to quite a legacy to deal with.


That’s why we agree with the Government’s line that we should start with the heavier vehicles and those which do the most miles in the affected areas – trucks and buses. The good news here is that not only are cleaner models with us already but also retrofitting is a practical option, unlike for cars.


Which leaves us with our friend the van. With van traffic continuing to explode and vans making up much of daytime urban-traffic flow, we really do need a push to get cleaner models into circulation.


There’s no point berating our small businesses and tradesmen for driving dirty diesels if diesels are all that’s on offer to them. Perhaps that’s an area where government’s attention should focus, not least because many of those vans are trundling around on various forms of government business.


Don’t miss Steve Gooding’s column in Highways, now appearing every month.


The Royal Automobile Club Foundation for Motoring Limited is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Charity Number 1002705. Registered address: 89–91 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HS

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Director of Transport

£112,924
East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) is on a bold journey. East Midlands Region
Recruiter: East Midlands Combined County Authority

Ferry Host - WMF3049i

£25,584 - £25,992
Ferry Host - WMF3049i Windermere, Cumbria
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Director of Streetscene

£94,972 - £108,767
We continue to have big ambitions for our borough Fareham, Hampshire
Recruiter: Fareham Borough Council

Principal Engineer - Urban Traffic Control (UTC)

£44,711 - £49,764
Liverpool is home to vibrant, energetic and engaged communities. Liverpool, Merseyside
Recruiter: Liverpool City Council

Roadworker/Driver

Grade 6 £25,183 - £25,638 per annum (Pay Award Pending)
We’re looking for Roadworker/trainee LGV drivers to be part of our team Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Project Chargehand (2 Posts)

Grade 9 £31,344 - £33,253 per annum (Pay Award Pending)
We’re looking for experienced Project Chargehands to be part of the Highways Construction Services team Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Lawyer 2- Planning and Highways

£49,764 - £54,181
We are looking for a fresh thinking and enthusiastic Planning and Highways Lawyer Hereford, Herefordshire
Recruiter: Herefordshire Council

Development Engineer

£35,967 - £41,268 per annum
Are you ready to play a key role in shaping and safeguarding the future of our highways and public spaces? Bexley (City/Town), London (Greater)
Recruiter: London Borough of Bexley

Professional Services Partnering Manager

Grade 13 £47,653 - £51,296 per annum (pay award pending)
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Professional Services Partnering Manager to lead the strategic management Darley Dale, Matlock
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Technical Supervision Manager

Grade 13 £47,653 - £51,296 per annum (pay award pending)
We are looking for an experienced and driven Technical Supervision Manager to lead our technical supervision teams within the Highways Service. Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Street Lighting Electrician (CDC)

Grade 8, £32,662 - £36,239 (pay award pending)
Highways Operations is a growing service area within the Place directorate. Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recruiter: City Of Doncaster Council

Highways Assistant Engineer WMF2133e

£39,513 to £40,476
We have an exciting opportunity for the right person to work within the challenging and ever-changing landscape. Penrith, Cumbria
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Highways Inspector/NRSWA

£36,345 - £40,344
We are looking for an organised and self-motivated individual to join our Streetworks Team based in Hackney Central. Hackney, London (Greater)
Recruiter: London Borough of Hackney Council

Structures Commissioner

Grade 14 £53,166 - £59,080 per annum (Pay Award Pending)
We are seeking an experienced and strategic leader to join our team as the Structures Commissioner. Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Team Leader Network Co-ordination

£51,429 - £58,140
As Team Leader for Network Coordination, you’ll manage a team that oversees all works and events on our public highways. Kensington and Chelsea, London (Greater)
Recruiter: The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council

PRINCIPAL TRANSPORT PLANNING OFFICER

£43693 - £46731
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced professional to join our team in Hull as a Principal Transport Planning Officer. Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
Recruiter: Hull City Council

HIGHWAYS AND TRAFFIC ENGINEER - 4 POSTS

£43693 - £46731
We have several exciting opportunities for suitably qualified Highways Civil Engineers and Traffic Engineers Wilson Centre, 1st floor, Hull HU1 2AG
Recruiter: Hull City Council

Principal Transport Planner

£45,718 to £49,764
Do you have considerable experience in the transport strategy and policy, and are you looking for your next career development opportunity? Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Recruiter: Sheffield City Council

Project Lead - Bridges and Structures WMF3037e

£45,718 to £46,731
We are currently seeking to recruit a Project Lead to join our Bridges and Structures team Kendal, Cumbria
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW