Cities call for ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles

City leaders from England and Wales are expected to urge the government to ban the sale of new pure diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2030.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who will hots a national air quality summit on the topic, will meet with cross-party leaders, together representing around 20 million people from across England and Wales, to bring forward current plans to phase out the vehicles from 2040 to 2030 to tackle the nation’s growing air quality health crisis.

With poor air quality estimated to contribute to more than 40,000 premature deaths across the country each year, it is reported that the phasing out of petrol and diesel vehicles would lead to a 30 per cent reduction in pollution in 2030.

As well as calling for the earlier phasing out of diesel and petrol vehicles, the city leaders, including Mayors and city leaders covering Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Greater Manchester, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton and the West Midlands, will also discuss the benefits of an enhanced Clean Air Fund from government and manufacturers that will support Clean Air Zones, a targeted national vehicle renewal scheme to replace older polluting vehicles, and a Clean Air Act that sets strict air quality limits.

Khan said: “Air pollution is not an isolated problem, it’s a national health crisis. Our country’s filthy air is shortening lives, damaging lungs, and severely impacting on the NHS. That’s why we’re bringing together city leaders from across England and Wales to put this at the top of the agenda. We have to take bold action, but while we’re all doing what we can, we need government support to do even more. Banning the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, providing support to deliver Clean Air Zones in cities and introducing a national vehicle renewal scheme will dramatically improve our air quality and our health. Michael Gove has made a good start as Environment Secretary but we need the government to match our ambition and help us urgently drive forward these improvements. We simply cannot afford to delay.”