Mayor of Greater Manchester calls on MEPs to help save lives

Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd

The Mayor of Greater Manchester has urged the region’s MEPs to take action following the Volkswagen air pollution scandal and put the health - and lives - of local people first.

Tony Lloyd has written to the North West’s eight MEPs asking them to see how new EU air quality legislation can help save lives. He also asks for their help in speeding up the implementation of more robust testing so the public can have confidence in the cars they drive.

In the letter Tony says: “I’m sure you were as shocked as I was about the recent Volkswagen emissions scandal, particularly the allegations that the UK government may have been complicit in allowing the company to deliberately put lives at risk.

“In Greater Manchester up to 3,000 people die each year because of air pollution, and like almost all British urban areas, the region has been in breach of EU Nitrogen Dioxide limits for more than five years. Although, locally, we have already stepped up to the challenge of tackling air pollution by investing in public transport to encourage sustainable travel, greening our vehicle fleets, raising public awareness and managing emissions, it will still take us more than a decade to comply, and revelations such as this set our progress back even further.

“It is clear that the current emissions tests are flawed and changes need to be made at a European level to introduce robust testing so that the public can have confidence in the cars they drive. The proposed introduction of the real world drive test procedure will go some way to restoring credibility in the car industry and I ask for your help in expediting its implementation.

“I would also ask you to use your position within the European Parliament to see how new EU air quality legislation can help us save lives and stand ready to support you with any measures you would seek to bring forward. By working constructively together on a local, regional, national and European level I believe we can bring about real change that will make our air cleaner, improve the health of the nation and save lives.”