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Mayor to tackle capital's toxic air with new low emission bus zones

Sadiq Khan has unveiled the capital’s first specially designated low emission bus zone as part of his efforts to improve air quality in London.

The zones, which formed a key plank of the Mayor’s environmental mandate, will be trammelled exclusively by hybrid buses or diesel buses fitted with top of the range anti-pollutant systems that meet or exceed Euro VI emission standards.

Beginning next February, Putney High Street is to be the first confirmed route to be used exclusively by low emission buses, followed by another zone between Brixton and Streatham which is due to be converted by October 2017.

It is hoped that the new zones will reduce toxic NOx emissions on the routes by 84%, in an effort to clean up London’s worst air pollution areas outside Central London.

Commenting on the news, Khan said: “It is a scandal that in a wonderful, modern world city like London, thousands of people are dying because the air they breathe is toxic.

“I am absolutely committed to speeding up our efforts and making sure I do everything possible to improve air quality in the capital. Too many of London’s busiest high streets are choked with fumes and this move will improve the health of those living and working in the most polluted areas.

“I am determined to reduce emissions and improve London for everyone, and this is the latest in a number of changes I am making to deliver on this.”

It comes after Transport for London committed to procuring only hybrid or zero-emission double-decker buses from 2018, after research last year claimed that poor air quality was contributing to the deaths of 10,000 Londoners each year.

Leon Daniels, TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, added: “We’ve identified a number of routes where we can implement the Mayor’s Low Emission Bus Zones plan quickly and efficiently. These corridors will see quicker journeys and real lasting improvements in air quality.”

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