London City gives future diesel fleets the flick
City of London Corporation has officially banned any diesel fleet purchases or hire for business use.
The public authority’s modest 300-vehicle fleet will not be replaced by diesel vehicles when its next procurement cycle comes around, and nor will it allow the hiring of diesel cars for sporadic use.
Head of procurement at City of London, Chris Bell, said the action underscores the “extremely seriously” stance the organisation has on air quality.
“We are taking responsibility for the cleanliness of our fleet and encouraging the use low and zero emission vehicles with our partners,” Mr Bell said.
According to the City, London air quality is not meeting health targets and believes the high number of diesel vehicles are a main contributor. Problem pollutants are nitrogen dioxide (NOx) and particles known as ‘particulate matter’ (PM10). The City Corporation has achieved a vehicle emissions reduction of more than 40% NOx and over 50% PM10 since 2009 due to the reduction in its fleet size and the uptake of newer cleaner cars.
“It complements the work we’re doing to support many City businesses which are also cutting back on deliveries and using more hybrid vehicles,” Mr Bell added.
The City Corporation has also developed a ‘City Air App’ which gives low pollution routes to over 15,000 Londoners. It has also established a 30km/h zone city-wide and tight new procurement restrictions have been set targeting bulldozers and generators.
Courtesy Londonair.org.uk
