Engineering news
The first Clean Air Act was introduced in the 1950s in response to London’s Great Smog, when a thick layer of pollution formed in the air above the capital.
In a report released today, the institution makes recommendations for new initiatives, including coherent monitoring of emissions, incentives for freight deliveries outside peak hours, and retrofitting diesel trains to cut emissions when they are standing at platforms.
“Individuals breathe in 20kg of air every day and, because we can’t see it, we don’t know about the harmful particles it contains,” said Philippa Oldham, lead author of the report and IMechE member.
“While much of the media focus is on our capital, it is worth noting that this is a serious problem that affects us all,” Oldham continued. “Different communities will require their own solutions; for example, in cities outside London the proportion of public transport is lower, so the proportion of emissions from diesel and petrol cars is greater. In Manchester, 43% of emissions come from cars and just 11% from buses.”
The report, Breath of fresh air: new solutions to reduce transport emissions, recommends that:
1. Government introduces a national monitoring system, across the different types of transport, recording all types of pollution, to create a coherent picture against which national targets can be set.
2. Government to incentivise cleaner technologies and encourage the phasing-out of older vehicles with poor emissions records across the network (for example diesel cars and trains).
3. Government to consider incentivising freight and logistic operators to make deliveries outside peak hours.
4. Conduct a series of trials on existing diesel railway rolling stock, new bi-mode trains and in major stations, to understand the level and effect of exposure to pollutants on commuters and railway workers.
5. Conduct a series of trials to understand the impact on the individual of exposure to pollutants in overground and underground railway stations, ports, airports and bus stations.
6. Create a positive and dynamic campaign that informs the public of the health benefits of switching to lower-emission modes of transport.
7. Government to work with Network Rail to deliver the complete electrification of the main railway lines between Britain’s principal cities and ports and in major urban rail networks.
8. Fund research through the Clean Air Fund and Innovate UK to create programmes to clean up various transport modes.
To read the full report, click here.