- Stagecoach Policy Development Director Liz Esnouf pledges her support for modern, clean buses in the fight for clean air
- Official guidance directs local councils to be lenient on biggest polluters and penalise buses instead
PERTH, Scotland, 2018-Feb-15 — /Travel PR News/ — Stagecoach has called for buses to be put at the heart of the UK’s clean air strategy, as part of a national campaign to clean Britain’s air.
The campaign is being spearheaded by Greener Journeys, the sustainable transport group, which has warned that plans to tackle air pollution must put clean, diesel buses front and centre to successfully reduce pollution and congestion.
Stagecoach’s UK Bus Policy Director Liz Esnouf showed her support for the campaign on board a modern bus at the Bus Summit in Westminster.
Real-world testing of modern, diesel Euro VI buses – and those retrofitted to this standard – demonstrates that they are 95% cleaner than previous models and emit fewer emissions overall than the average diesel Euro 6 car despite having 15 to 20 times the capacity.
Stagecoach’s support for buses comes as the UK faces up to its pollution crisis, with 38 of England’s 43 air quality zones breaching EU legal limits for NOxemissions.
The campaign has been bolstered by an open letter to Government, in which Greener Journeys has warned that current guidance for councils on CAZs needs more decisive action to encourage a shift towards buses and other cleaner modes of transport.
Local authorities have until next month to publish draft plans for tackling pollution in their areas and it is widely expected that many will penalise buses while sparing private cars and vans from any penalties.
Speaking at the Bus Summit, an industry event in London which focused on the bus’s role in solving the air quality crisis, Liz Esnouf said buses are integral to the solution for cleaner air and called for them to be put at the heart of the UK’s future transport plans.
She said:
“Buses are the lifeblood of communities and have a crucial role to play as we fight air pollution in our towns and cities. I am delighted to show my support for this vital campaign and to add to the many voices calling for buses to be part of the solution to poor air quality.”
ENDS
For further information
Greener Journeys Press Office
press@greenerjourneys.com or +44 (0) 7912 799543
For a copy of the report please contact greenerjourneys@mhpc.com or download here after embargo: http://www.greenerjourneys.com/publications/
Notes to Editors
About Greener Journeys
Greener Journeys is a campaign dedicated to encouraging people to make more sustainable travel choices. It is a coalition of the UK’s leading public transport organizations, user groups and supporters. It aims to reduce CO2 emissions from transport by encouraging people to switch some of their car journeys to bus or coach instead. Switching from car to bus for just one journey a month would mean one billion fewer car journeys on our roads and would save 2 million tonnes of CO2 every year. For more information visit www.greenerjourneys.com
SOURCE: Stagecoach Group plc.