Councillors at Newcastle City Council (NCC) have backed final proposals for a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the centre of the city.
The logistics sector is “extremely disappointed” by the latest proposals, which include plans to close one lane of the Tyne Bridge in each direction.
Mags Simpson, head of Northern England Policy at FTA, said: “In the opinion of our members, NCC needs to reconsider its proposal to close one lane of the Tyne Bridge in each direction; this approach will significantly increase road congestion and air pollution in the local vicinity, and have an impact on journey times and costs.
Following months of productive meetings with NCC – where plans were amended to represent a smaller area of the city and provide more support for van operators in particular – FTA and its members are bewildered by this sudden change of plan.”
The Council received a record number of responses to its previous consultations: more than 20,000.
The CAZ will charge drivers to enter the city from January 30, 2023, although private cars are exempt for now.
Buses, coaches, and lorries that do not meet environmental standards would face £50 tolls under the plan, while some taxis and vans would be hit with £12.50 fees.
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Matt has been an automotive journalist for eight years. As senior staff writer he is responsible for the automotive content on Fleet News and also contributes to Automotive Management. Prior to this, Matt worked in the automotive industry for 10 years.
silversod - 19/01/2020 13:20
Hey Newcastle what's it like all the way back there in the 1950's? You might as well as not bothered to address emissions & congestion.