Congestion and air pollution are killing the world’s major cities. Among them: New York, Beijing, Tokyo, Mumbai and London to name a few. And if you believe the most skewed of environmentalist hype, it’s all down to personal transport. Only it’s not. The UK’s Health Effects Institute (HEI) recently released details of a study called the, “The Impact of the Congestion Charging Scheme on Air Quality in London,” that shows that things may not be as clear-cut as some of us thought.
Led by Professor Frank Kelly of King’s College London, the study (as the title suggests) investigated what affect London’s much-derided Congestion Charging Scheme has had on the city’s air quality. The result: not much. Through the use of emissions / exposure modeling, analysis of air monitoring data and the, “assay for the oxidative potential of particulate matter,” Professor Kelly and his colleagues found:
“From their comparison of actual air pollutant measurements within the CCZ with those at control sites in Outer London, the investigators reported little evidence of CCS-related changes in pollutant levels at roadside monitoring sites, where their modeling had suggested the most pronounced effects would be seen.”
At least London’s CSS appears to be helping with congestion. The study again:
“The Congestion Charging Scheme was one of the first to be implemented in a major city in Europe or the US—and did show measurable reductions in traffic volume—but air pollution does not know precise boundaries so any benefit of the CCS or air quality appears to have been lost in the larger regional pollution mix.”
So it’s good news for London’s motorists and neither-good-nor-bad news for the environment. It’s worth pointing out that the HEI is a not-for-profit organisation joint funded by government and industry to study air pollution and its effects on the environment and people.
For a more thorough summary of how the CSS has affected London’s air pollution, click through to HEI’s press release at their site: HealthEffects.org.
By Tristan Hankins
