The evidence is clear that air pollution causes new lung conditions and exacerbates existing conditions, like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Further evidence attributes air pollution to a wider range of health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and cognitive decline.
Clearing the Air: Transport + Lung Health looks at how air pollution impacts our lungs, the lung health of our children and the associated health inequalities, while discussing air pollution levels in Scotland and how the quality of our air is monitored. The report also analyses public transport’s role in polluting the air we breathe, and the policies of the Scottish Government and local councils, which play a part in reducing emissions from transport, including ultra-low emissions vehicles (ULEVs) and infrastructure, low emission zones (LEZs) and vehicle idling.
Recommendations for the Scottish Government, local authorities and other policymakers:
- Legislate to adopt the 2021 World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines as legal targets.
- Increase the automatic monitoring network across Scotland so that every local authority is accounted for, prioritising areas around schools, hospitals, maternity units and care homes.
- Improve the alert system using greater monitoring under recommendation 2 so that people with respiratory conditions and other existing health conditions can take action to protect their health during periods of higher air pollution, and GPs, hospitals, schools and care homes are alerted to prepare for exacerbations of people with lung conditions.
- Scrap peak rail fares beyond the trial ending on 27 September 2024, creating the conditions for more affordable rail travel.
- Accelerate the roll out of electric trains and busses and reduce the proportion of routes using diesel vehicles.
- Utilise the powers of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 to support bus travel in underserved communities and create council-run services that are more affordable and accessible.
- Offer greater incentives of £5,000 of more to purchase new ultra-low emissions vehicles to encourage the phasing out of petrol and diesel vehicle sales.
- Audit the electric vehicle charging network annually to find gaps in supply and demand, reporting when and where anomalies are found in charging point data.
- Implement Low Emission Zones (LEZ) in further cities and large towns in Scotland and expand the LEZ boundaries in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee by 2030.
- Implement and enforce the ban on vehicle idling across Scotland and increase the fixed penalty notice to act as a greater deterrent.