Liverpool (England) To Install 100 EV Charge Points, Introduce Anti-Idling Pilot Scheme, & Create Clean Air Zone In Bid To Cut Air Pollution

As part of a wider bid to reduce local and regional air pollution problems, the Liverpool City Council is now working to install around 100 plug-in electric vehicle charge points in the city. It is also introducing an anti-idling pilot scheme and creating a so-called “Clean Air Zone.”

As of November 7, work was underway to identify the best places — whether supermarkets, busy streets, parking lots, etc. — to install the electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

The aforementioned Clean Air Zone has been planned for some time, with the city council now working with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to determine costs on the plan — which will likely see council operations go diesel-free in the city center by 2019 and across the whole city by 2024, amongst other things.

In addition, the council is working to introduce a pilot scheme meant to push drivers to turn off their engines, rather than idling, when near school zones.

So, what’s the purpose behind all of this work? Well, going on the figures provided by the city council, around 4% of all deaths in Liverpool feature air pollution as a partial cause — with long-term exposure contributing to the development of a wide variety of health problems, including heart diseases, lung cancer, asthma, stroke, and more.

The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, commented on the news: “Although the city has made great strides in reducing levels of sulphur dioxide over recent years, pollution from vehicle related emissions such as Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter is still too high.

“It is not good enough for us to be just below the worst as it still has a direct effect on the health of many residents and creates a huge cost for the NHS, which means it has to be a real priority.

“There is already a lot of good work going on delivered by partners such as Merseytravel, but we can support that by using our influence to deliver changes which will improve air quality. … By 2025 I want the city to have developed a central heart where walking, cycling, electric vehicles, and clean fuels will dominate.”

h/t Voltia