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There’s good news and bad news for the success of Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone following a study by the University of Birmingham.
Clean air zones are in operation in a number of major UK cities. Air pollution from traffic is becoming a health focus in inner cities, which are often plagued with pollution from stop start traffic. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that air circulation is relatively limited due to the density and height of buildings.
In an attempt to limit the concentration of pollution in the worst affected areas, local councils have introduced clean air zones to discourage the worst polluting vehicles to drive through them.
• Bath (class C)
• Birmingham (class D)
• Bradford (class C)
• Bristol (class D)
• Portsmouth (class B)
• Sheffield (class C)
• Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead) (class C)
Your vehicle needs to meet or exceed the following standards to avoid a charge. Vehicles that don’t meet the minimum criteria can still enter the zones, but they must pay a charge.
| CLASS | VEHICLE TYPE | |
|
A B C D |
Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses, cars, the local authority has the option to include motorcycles |
|
|
||
|
Vehicle type |
Clean air zone minimum standard |
|
Buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles |
Euro VI |
|
Vans, minibuses, taxis, private hire vehicles, cars |
Euro 6 (diesel) and Euro 4 (petrol) |
|
Motorcycles |
Euro 3 |
For more guidance see the government website:
UK Government: Driving in a Clean Air Zone
Ambient (outdoor) air pollution is estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide per year in 2019 according to WHO. They have found that it is the second highest risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Controlling with a view to minimising the public’s exposure to high levels of air pollution is key to protecting the health of the nation.
Pollution measures are usually focussed on fine particulate matter (abbreviated to PM) which is very small pieces of carbon or debris (soot). These particles can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and cause cancer and cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
The problem of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) pollution has received less focus in the past as it is not as closely linked to mortality as particulate pollution, but that doesn’t mean that it’s harmless. It has been linked to a variety of respiratory problems including asthma in children. The majority of NO₂ pollution comes from vehicles, with older vehicles producing significantly more than newer models.
Nitrogen dioxide reduced by 7.3% in the first seven months of operation |
|
Since their introduction, clean air zones have attracted strong opinions. So do they actually reduce air pollution?
A study by researchers from the University of Birmingham has found that the clean air zone has reduced the levels of (NO₂) by a “modest, but significant” 7.3%.
They studied the air quality during the first seven months of the CAZ’s operation using new techniques to produce a more accurate picture of the effectiveness of the zone. They used machine learning to separate out weather effects from the data which could bias the results to identify a more true measure of impact of the zone itself.
They found that the introduction of the Clean Air Zone directly contributed to significant reductions of NO₂ at busy roadside locations. They also found reductions on roads outside the CAZ, so it is possible that it is prompting more general behavioural changes that reduce air pollution on the road.
No change to fine particles in the first seven months of operation |
Unfortunately, they found no detectable impact on the concentrations of fine particles, the pollutant with the greatest negative health effects.
Professor Zongbo Shi, a senior author who oversaw this work, added: “PM2.5 at monitoring sites in Birmingham still regularly exceed WHO air quality guideline levels, at which health impacts occur with significant health implications, including hundreds of premature deaths every year.”
As one of the greatest risks to public health, it is important that cross-industry action is taken to reduce air pollution as quickly as possible.
Read more here:
University of Birmingham: Clean Air Zone reduces air pollution levels in Birmingham - study
