07.06.17
Burnham calls on Mancunians to use tram to reduce city’s air pollution
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has today appealed to residents to do their bit in reducing air pollution by taking the tram into work at least once a week.
As part of the first Greater Manchester Clean Air Day that is taking place on Thursday 15 June, the mayor has pledged to use public transport to get into work at least once a week in an effort to improve air quality in the city – and he’s appealing to others in Manchester to do the same.
Short and long-term exposure to air pollutants can affect people’s health, but simple everyday changes like travelling by public transport, such as the tram in Manchester instead of driving can greatly decrease the amount of pollutants in the air.
It is predicted that around 2,000 people die prematurely in Greater Manchester every year due to air pollution, with road transport, particularly diesel vehicles, accounting for a huge proportion of dangerous pollutants including 65% of nitrogen oxide and 79% of particulate emissions like soot.
In a message on YouTube, Burnham called on the people of Manchester to also help lower air pollution.
“In parts of Greater Manchester, children walking to school are breathing in air that’s harming their health and thousands of hospital admissions every year are caused by poor air quality,” he warned.
“My job takes me all over Greater Manchester and I aim to walk and take public transport where I can,” Burnham added. “At least one day a week, I’ve pledged to use public transport to get to my office in central Manchester and I hope as many people as possible will make a pledge too.
“If we all take action together, we can clean up the air we breathe and make Greater Manchester a healthier and better place in which to live.”
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