It is the first local authority to have it approved as part of the government’s wider £3.5bn programme to reduce harmful emissions from road transport.
The government has given the green light for Nottingham City Council to implement its new plan to tackle air pollution.
It is the first local authority to have its air quality plan approved as part of the government’s wider £3.5 billion programme to reduce harmful emissions from road transport across the UK.
The plan includes the retrofit of 171 buses with technology to reduce emissions as well as changing the age and emissions policy for hackney carriages and supporting an increase in low emission taxis.
A £1 million government fund will provide a licensing discount for drivers, a taxi rank with charging points, home chargers and help expand the council’s ‘try before you buy’ scheme which started this week.
Nottingham City Council has also received funding to support the conversion of its own fleet, including replacing heavy, high polluting vehicles such as bin lorries with electric vehicles (EVs).
The council worked with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs(Defra) and the Department for Transport (DfT) for the past three years to identify measures to reduce levels of pollution “in the shortest possible time” and deliver compliance with legal air quality limits.
Councillor Sally Longford, Portfolio Holder for Energy and Environment said: “We worked hard on a plan that would reduce air pollution in the shortest possible time for our citizens and we’re thrilled this has now been agreed, along with nearly £1m funding for extra measures to support taxi drivers.
