RAC reacts to air quality report from Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee

Following a new report into local air quality from the Government's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, RAC public affairs manager Nick Lyes said: "The RAC supports the principle of clean air zones as outlined by Defra last year. Those proposals provide local authorities with some flexibility through a tiered structure based on national guidelines.

"However, simply allowing local authorities to create their own zones, which could lead to motorists facing a hotchpotch of charging regimes across the country, would be a recipe for chaos. Decisions on how far to go within the tiered national structure should be taken locally, and authorities should give local residents and indeed businesses sufficient time to consider switching their more polluting vehicles to something cleaner. 

"Local authorities may also wish to consider trialling electronic signage to inform motorists of air pollution levels. Plans to replace or upgrade older, more polluting buses and taxis should also be fast-tracked."