Friday 1 November 2019

Bristol could become first city in UK to ban diesel vehicles

Bristol could become the first city in the UK to ban diesel vehicles from a section of its roads.

Bristol City Council’s Cabinet has proposed to establish a Clean Air Zone in a "small area" of the city, in order to deliver the "fastest possible improvement in air quality".

Proposals recommend banning all privately-owned vehicles from streets in the area and implementing a charging zone for non-compliant commercial vehicles such as buses, taxis and lorries.

A car scrappage scheme would also be launched to encourage the removal of polluting diesel cars from the roads.

Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, said: “These ambitious plans demonstrate our commitment to tackling air pollution so we meet legal limits within the shortest time, without disproportionally affecting citizens on lower incomes which would happen with a blanket approach to charging vehicles.

“Protecting the most vulnerable people from pollution is central to these plans and we have ensured that all impacts have been carefully considered. If approved, mitigation measures will support those most affected, especially those living in the most deprived communities.”

Bristol City Council cabinet must now decide whether or not to approve the plans, for which the final deadline for implementation is March 2021.