London Air Pollution: Restrict Traffic Not Outdoor Activity

Reacting to London’s air pollution alert which was so high that adults and children have been told to reduce outdoor activities, Friends of the Earth London campaigner, Sophie Neuburg released the following statements.

“It’s outrageous that children, who have done nothing to cause the problem, need to be kept indoors when air pollution is bad. Instead, the Mayor should introduce emergency traffic restrictions to reduce air pollution quickly and make our air safer.

“How is it possible that in one of the richest cities in the world children aren’t even able to play outside in case they breathe in London’s filthy air?

Sadiq Khan must follow the lead of Paris, Athens and Madrid and commit to banning dirty diesel from London

“We know traffic is one of the biggest problems for air pollution and diesel is the worst of all. This is why Sadiq Khan must follow the lead of Paris, Athens and Madrid and commit to banning dirty diesel from London by 2025.”

The environmental campaign group is calling for the London Mayor to:

• Commit to phase out diesel vehicles in London by 2025 – following similar commitments by Paris, Madrid, Athens, and Mexico City
• Expand the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) for all vehicles across the whole of London, and bring it in as soon as possible
• Invest more in cycling and public transport to give people better alternatives to driving, and don’t allow road-building to add to the problem
• Explore solutions, adopted by other cities, such as mandatory pollution stickers for cars – so the worst can be banned on high pollution days, and making public transport free on days of high pollution.