Sustainable travel strategy aims to reduce air pollution
Posted on Friday 22nd March 2019
Newport city centre at night
A strategy designed to pull together a number of actions aimed at reducing pollution generated by Newport’s transport network is being considered.
Cabinet member for Licensing and Regulation, Councillor Ray Truman, has given his approval so that Newport City Council’s draft Sustainable Travel Strategy can go out for public consultation.
The strategy will look at ways to encourage cycling and walking, suggest increasing electric vehicle charging points and give guidance on planning applications to ensure they all play a part in how the city’s transport network can improve public health, reduce pollution levels and limit the extent of global warming.
The strategy is due to go out for public consultation in May and run for six weeks. Ways on how this can be done will be publicised nearer the time.
The strategy does not intend to set out detailed schemes but act as a starting point to develop localised plans which will complement each other
The support and the views of the public will be essential in helping to shape the strategy and the detailed plans that will follow.
With regard to air quality the council has already declared 11 Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) across the city - areas where pollution exceeds air quality objectives – caused by excessive road traffic.
And these AQMAs will also form part of the strategy for a framework to build a city wide plan to work towards a low/zero emission transport network.
Road traffic results in carbon dioxide emissions which is a greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.
To minimise the impact of climate change scientists have predicted we have 12 years to curb carbon dioxide emissions.
With this in mind rather than just develop an Air Quality Action Plan to meet government legislation the council is planning to consult on the wider Sustainable Travel Strategy.