Leeds and Birmingham delay Clean Air Zones
FTA reacted to the statement by Leeds and Birmingham Councils, that they are delaying the start of their Clean Air Zones, by saying it was the only step available to them, and the right thing to do.
FTA’s Head of UK Policy Christopher Snelling said: ”FTA has also been talking to the Government about these issues and agrees that the cities seem insufficiently prepared to have the necessary systems in place. You cannot start a regulation without a reliable way to comply with it in place and tested – there is simply too much chance that things launched at the very last minute will go wrong, leading to chaos for HGV and van operators serving these two major cities.”
“Whether you support CAZs or not, we can all agree that regulations must have the systems in place to make them work. Leeds and Birmingham have done the right thing, indeed they are taking the only course of action available to them.”
“Government needs to develop these systems asap and demonstrate they are reliable and accurate – only then should Councils definitively commit to start dates for any Clean Air Zones.”
