Public Health England moots road pricing to tackle pollution

13/03/2019 | CHRIS AMES

Low emission zones and road pricing deliver the highest public health benefit of any transport intervention aimed at tackling the effects of air pollution, the Government’s own advisers have said.

Public Health England (PHE) was commissioned by the Government to review the evidence for effective air quality interventions and provide practical recommendations for actions to improve air quality.

It commissioned five ‘rapid evidence assessments’ that focused on vehicles and fuels; spatial planning; industry; agriculture; and people’s behaviour.

Its report states: ‘Strategies that deliver the highest public health benefit relative to transport are actions or interventions aimed at reducing the use of polluting forms of transport, such as low emission zones and road pricing.’

It adds that, in the face of the public’s reluctance to reduce their own car use unless others do the same: ‘Pricing measures are effective, particularly in the case of low and integrated fares, which facilitate greater public transport use and help reduce social exclusion, and congestion and parking charges, which can help reduce car use.’

It adds: ‘Active travel interventions, such as promoting walking and cycling at limited scale, do not generally improve air quality significantly; however, there are proven public health and environmental benefits from the added physical exercise, noise reduction, climate change mitigation and greater road safety and community cohesion.’

In the foreword to the report, Professor Paul Cosford, director of health protection and medical director at PHE, wrote: ‘The inexorable rise of road, air and sea transport, industrialisation of food production and many other factors means air quality remains a major issue for the public’s health.

‘Walking, cycling and other forms of active travel are great for improving health and reducing air pollution, but too often people are put off by the risk of exposure to high concentrations of pollutants. With an estimated effect equivalent to 28,000 – 36,000 deaths each year attributable to human-made air pollution in the UK, more action is clearly needed.’

The report states: ‘Anti-idling interventions can improve air quality in pollution hotspots or close to vulnerable receptors, such as schools or hospitals.’

However, it also states that the overall effectiveness of such interventions in improving air quality ‘was found to be low’.

A recent FOI found a total of 10 councils have handed out 59 fines to drivers across England and Wales for the offence despite having had the power to fine drivers for leaving their engines idling since 2002.

The PHE report also recommends making it easy for children to walk or cycle to school and increasing public awareness in relation to air pollution and children.

The RAC’s head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, said: ‘Unnecessary idling contributes to poor local air quality so it is right that we look at changing behaviours. Encouraging well-intentioned parents to switch off their engines outside schools shouldn’t be met with much resistance.

‘However, it isn’t just near schools where we should be cutting down on unnecessary idling – taxi ranks and bus stations in busy areas should also be targeted.’

The report states that the introduction of bi-mode trains and the electrification of the rail fleet would be effective in reducing emissions but adds that ‘cost and operational limitations are potential barriers to electrification of the rail network’.

In 2017 transport secretary Chris Grayling was widely criticised for cutting back on a programme of extending infrastructure to support electrification to save cash.

The Department for Transport argued that the use of bi-mode (electric/diesel) trains would provide the benefits of electrification without ‘disruptive electrification works’.

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Senior Civil Engineer - Major Projects x 4

£45,894.00 - £54,952.00
We are looking for experienced engineers to help us progress a number of key projects and programmes Glasgow, Glasgow City
Recruiter: Transport Scotland

Technician - Maintenance

£31001.0000 - £36471.0000 per annum
Essex Highways is responsible for managing and maintaining one of the largest highway networks in the country
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Highways Contract Engineer

£46,731 - £49,764
The team helps provide a safe road network that operates efficiently and effectively.  Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Principal Transport Planner

£46,731 - £49,764 (pro-rata)
We are looking for an experienced professional to join us on a six-month temporary contact as a Principal Transport Planner. Kettering, Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Highways Maintenance Operative

£Competitive
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Highways Maintenance Operative Broughton, Brigg
Recruiter: Amey

Head of Highways Contracts & Network

£81,803 progressing to £90,664 per annum
The team includes approximately 60 directly employed HCC people Hertfordshire
Recruiter: Hertfordshire County Council

Principal Construction Manager

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Principal Construction Manager Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Quality Technician

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Quality Technician Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Senior Highway Engineer (Development Management)

£42679.0000 - £50211.0000 per annum
Senior Highway Engineer (Development Management)Permanent, Full Time£43,960 to £51,718 per annum*Location
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Project Manager (Major Projects)

£44,711 - £47,754
Are you an experienced project professional or engineer with looking to take the next step in your career? Halifax, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Senior Civil Engineer - Roads

£45,894 - £54,952
Are you an experienced engineer looking to support the Scottish Government’s national objectives. Scotland
Recruiter: Transport Scotland

Project Team Manager

£55,147 to £60,676 per annum
We are pleased to be able to offer an opportunity for a role as Design Team Manager Norwich, Norfolk
Recruiter: Norfolk County Council

Clerk of Works

GRADE 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
Warrington is one of the most successful towns in the country Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Assistant Projects Engineer

GRADE 06 (£29,093 - £32,654),GRADE 07 (£33,366 - £37,035), GRADE 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
Warrington is one of the most successful towns in the country Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Principal Engineer - Traffic Management

£45,718 - £48,710 per annum
At Bath & North East Somerset Council we have one overriding purpose – to improve people’s lives. Bath, Somerset
Recruiter: Bath & North East Somerset Council

Vehicle Technician - Improver

£28,624 - £30,060
Transport Services is responsible for all aspects of transport and related services Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Programme Delivery Office Administrator

Grade 9 £31,344 - £33,253 per annum
At Derbyshire, we have been on a journey to transform the way we deliver highway services to make them fit for the future Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Support Officer - Highways Asset Management Systems

£31,586 - £34,314
We are a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to maintaining and improving our highway infrastructure. Lincolnshire
Recruiter: Lincolnshire County Council

Principal Transport Planner (Strategy)

£46,731-£49,764
We are looking for an experienced professional to join North Northamptonshire Council as a Principal Transport Planner (Strategy). Sheerness House, 41 Meadow Road, Kettering moving to Haylock House, Kettering Parkway, Kettering NN15 6EY, United Kingdom
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Electrical Engineer

Grade 9 £34,314 to £37,938 - Grade 10 £37,035 to £40,476 - Grade 11 £39,513 to £43,693 - Grade 12 £42,708 to £46,731 p.a.
The Construction Consultancy Services (CCS) team provide client-side construction consultancy services across a range of professional disciplines to d Durham
Recruiter: Durham County 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