Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to deliver traffic reduction schemes that (1) incentivise people to switch to cleaner modes of transport, and (2) support those who might struggle to get around without a car, to access (a) newer, and (b) less polluting, vehicles.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Local authorities are responsible for delivering traffic reduction schemes as they are best placed to make the decisions that will deliver the practical changes required. However, as set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, the Government is committed to supporting places reduce emissions from transport while making journeys better.
We have invested in a range of schemes to help local transport authorities to manage demand on their roads. This includes £4.8 billion of funding via the Levelling-Up Fund, which so far through Round One has allocated funding for 19 places to deliver transport-based projects with decarbonisation benefits. We have also supported innovative trials through the Future Transport Zones programme, such as the Transport for West Midlands Mobility Credits pilot which is helping Coventry residents switch their old, more polluting, cars for local bus and rail services as well as car clubs or bike share schemes.
In April, we published the Local Authority Decarbonisation Toolkit, which provides practical support to authorities to help encourage sustainable travel whilst also providing accessible transport services and access to newer and less polluting transport options, like car clubs. We will continue to support local authorities to drive improvements through their Local Transport Plans.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution which is generated from vehicle tyres and breaks is controlled in towns and cities.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The development of regulations to limit emissions from tyre and brake wear depends on the development of an internationally recognised test procedure for measuring them. This issue is being examined by the UN ECE Particle Measurement Programme (PMP), which includes DfT officials, other international governments, and the automotive industry. DfT is one of the founders of PMP and has played a leading role since its inception.
To support the work of the PMP group further, DfT commissioned a 3-year research project in February 2021 aimed at understanding better the measurement techniques, material properties and control parameters of tyre and brake wear emissions from road vehicles. This project will inform policy and legislation aiming at reducing these emissions on a domestic and international level.
Furthermore, Government is continuing to invest through Innovate UK grants in emerging technologies which reduce non-exhaust emissions.