12.07.19
TramForward calls for increased tram links to tackle non-exhaust emissions
TramForward has welcomed the Government’s call for action on non-exhaust emissions from tyres, brakes and road surfaces,
It follows a report published yesterday by the Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) calling for urgent action to address the problem which is predicted to account for ten per cent of fine particle matter (PM 2.5) by 2030.
PM 2.5 contains pollution particles small enough to enter the lungs and the bloodstream.
TramForward claim that to reduce the issue on busy roads is to accelerate the adoption of tram and light rail systems.
Jim Harkins, chair of the TramForward Campaigns Group, said: “This report makes quite clear the dangerously high level of non-exhaust emissions created in urban areas by buses and goods vehicles as well as cars.
“Trams, with minimal pollution at point of use and with their high modal switch from cars, are a major tool for the reduction of NEE pollution, along with street washing along the polluted corridors as recommended in the report.
“We call upon Government to include non-exhaust emissions in all Air Quality legislation.”
The long-term aim for the campaign group is to reduce the numbers of rubber-tyred vehicles in the UK.
Research suggests that trams running on steel wheels on steel rails and using regenerative braking would cut the level of particulate pollution on heavily trafficked roads.