RAC comments on motorway 'anti-pollution tunnels' proposal

Highways England is considering covering sections of motorway with pollution-absorbing material in a bid to reduce pollution and improve air quality.

RAC roads policy spokesman Nick Lyes said: “We question whether constructing tunnel-like canopies, even if they are made from a material that can partially clean the air, is the right way to deal with the problem. All this will do is concentrate potentially toxic air over the road which will have an impact on those inside their vehicles who breathe in the trapped pollution.

“The solution should be about reducing levels of pollution by accelerating the transition to ultra-low and zero emission vehicles and encouraging better traffic flow through variable speed limits – something Highways England has started doing on smart motorways.”