Polluting trucks face urban exclusion zones
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• HGVs could come under tougher restrictions as local authorities gear up to meet national air quality objectives by 2005.
A report issued last week by the Government's Cleaner Transport Forum, addressing the health impact of vehicle emissions, encourages local authorities to create low emission zones (1.[2s) in town centres—areas identified as having problems with poor air quality.
With the onus on local authorities to meet their own targets, more stringent measures could be set in place. Ms would seek to exclude vehicles not meeting defined emissions standards and there would almost certainly be restrictions on "selected categories" of vehicle.
It is not clear at this stage how the local authorities will define "low" emissions, but trucks with Euro-3 engines are likely to be the starting point.
At the conference, Roads & Road Safety Minister tord Whitty stressed that local authorities would be expected to work in partnership with freight operators and vehicle manufacturers to come up with workable solutions.
"Fleet managers do have a responsibility here and they are able to plan in terms of future procurement," he said. Among suggestions for the implementation of Lib were the introduction of emissions information on vehicle tax discs and the decriminalisation of some road traffic offences to allow local authorities to enforce pollutions controls.