YEP Letters: August 11

Will clean air charges stop pollution?

Consultation ends on Sunday for the proposed Leeds Clean Air Charging Zone which could involve taxing motorists up to £50 a day to enter certain parts of the city. We asked YEP readers if they think charging people to drive into Leeds will solve air pollution problems and here’s what some of them said on social media..

Murray Craigen

This is simply a money-grabbing exercise. £450 gets a hydrogen on-demand kit and will fit any vehicle with an internal combustion engine. Thirty per cent more fuel-efficient and a huge reduction in emissions. Incentives could be given for fitting them and cleaner air is possible from day one. But no, removing money from people’s pockets for years on end seems to be the answer to stop pollutants from exhausts. It’s like raising tax to stop people catching colds and coughs.

Brian Simpson

Tackles the problem at the wrong end of the process – this is just income generation. Fix public transport issues first.

Brian Craig Hartley

New technology has a huge part to play – car drivers are not the enemy – government and industry have failed us woefully. Ask yourself what governments have done historically with the huge revenue via the beleaguered motorists to address such issues over many years?

Ben Lambe

It’s just another scam to make money. If they truly cared about air pollution, why not offer incentives to buy a cleaner, greener car instead?

Rose Edwards

Or install super industrial sized units that draw in the pollution from the air. We can buy domestic ones for the house, so why not develop huge ones for the outdoors? Collecting money is not going to make the pollution disappear unless they do something proactive with the money.

Cheryl Day Dockerty

It won’t solve anything, it’s all about making money. People will still drive and then get charged, how does that stop pollution?

Alan Castlehouse

Government are already doing it. New tax rules for vehicle emissions. This local tax is just another on top.

Dadimal Craig Mulholland

If it cuts down on congestion, it improves the air quality in the city centre.

Gemma Broadley

Having a reliable public transport system for people to not need to drive would help massively.

Mark Allan

It’s a joke. It won’t make any difference. RIP Leeds city centre.

Christina J. Sabourin

I get a lift to the train station three days a week – No one carpools! People need incentives for doing so. Fewer cars equals less pollution. If charges will be put into place, those who carpool should be exempt from these charges.

Sue Hillarby

Park and rides on the outskirts of the city, no more building of new housing estates and the only transport entering the city centre are buses, taxis, delivery lorries and disabled drivers, then the buses would be on time.

Robert North

Just working to pay different government departments.

Michael Duffy

People complain about the bus service and yeah at times it can take a while due to traffic, but most of the traffic isn’t buses. The bus service is miles better than it used to be too so I guess if there were fewer cars then we could have more buses on the road which would help. It’s about which side of the fence you’re on and if you care about pollution etc.

George Rokita

Car drivers penalised again. Easy money.

Maria Stokes Silverwood

The M1 ends in Leeds, the M62 goes through Leeds, what about the thousands of lorries using them every day and night? Give the private car owner a break. But they won’t it’s easier to charge the private car driver. How many millions do they make on parking fines, yet the roads are a mess and full of holes.

Bob McDougall

The bus and train companies will be rubbing their hands together with glee. There fares a far too expensive as it is.

Mark Conlon

Just another money wasting exercise like all the other crackpot ideas the council come up with i.e. Supertram, trolleybus, cycle lanes and now congestion charging. All expensive ideas that would and will not work. They should ask the people of the city what they think about transport instead of these stupid inquiries and studies that cost million of pounds just to be shelved or look dirty and depressing at the side of the road.

Lisa Tedstill

It will just create a divide between rich and poor.

Steve Ward

They are only proposing this tax for HGVs delivering goods and taxis. We will all end up paying more as companies seek to recover these costs. City centre business will also suffer as people will look for cheaper shopping destinations.

Debbie Simon Bowman

Not thinking about disabled people then? And older people that need cars? Charge people to drive into Leeds? What’s here anyway? Leeds City Council stopped people coming to Leeds when they wrecked our market. Coach loads came from all over the country – not any more.

Phil Lee

Economy-generator, nothing else. It’s just like 
most environmental-related matters, emissions being near to top for being economic failure.

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