"It's no good just pricing people out of their cars without giving them other means to get where they need to go", a Tyne and Wear Public Transport Users Group's spokesperson told Radio 5's presenter Nihal in a discussion about air pollution today.
Prof. Barbara Maher from Lancaster University highlighted the widespread ill-health and premature deaths caused by air pollution, particularly harmful to children. "Just box-ticking is not the right approach", she warned, arguing we need better monitoring and a different mindset.
We agree!
Nationally, the costs of public transport are rising - hitting the poor hardest. Meanwhile, the government is putting £30 billion into new roads, when instead they should be investing in sustainable transport as many other countries do - for example Germany.
While the poorest in society can't afford cars at all, we also need to be as fair as possible to the less well-off, who own older cars and, if priced out of cities may have to travel further to get to work. The recommendation for a national scrappage scheme that offers public transport or e-bike incentives rather than just car-for-car exchanges is a good one. Green Party of England and Wales campaigns for attractive public transport that is run for the common good, not for private profits.
Locally in Newcastle, we will push for any money raised from emissions charging to be re-invested by the Council in alternatives like buses, metro, and safer cycling and walking options. We've also been highlighting the lack of monitoring of air pollution around schools and particularly in the West of our city.
