A MAJOR reduction in cars and buses in Glasgow City Centre in the first two weeks of lockdown led to a near 50% drop in pollution on Scotland’s dirtiest street, figures show.

Levels of harmful Nitrogen Dioxide measured on Hope St are 47% below a comparable fortnight last year. 

While the council said further monitoring would be required to get an accurate picture of the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on pollution levels, environmental experts described the figures as “off the scale.” 

Information including a graph obtained by the Glasgow Times show a dramatic downturn in harmful emissions from March 23 to April 5 this year, compared with March 25 to April 7 last year.

Glasgow Times:

Environmental Protection Scotland (EPS) said the figures would leave policy makers  “big question” about how to sustain improvements post-lockdown and build a thriving City Centre economy without being reliant on car use.  However, it said a complete car ban might be, “too much to ask of people.’

READ MORE: Glasgow bus operators reach low emissions milestone 

Glasgow’s Green MSP Patrick Harvie said there was a huge opportunity to maintain the improvements, “given that air pollution is a public health emergency in it’s own right.”

The Italian city of Milan, among Europe’s most polluted, has announced an ambitious scheme to help reduce car use permanently by re-allocating 22 miles of street space to cyclists and pedestrians. Under lockdown, motor traffic congestion has dropped by 30%-70%.

In Paris, the first Sunday of every month is already completely car free in the urban core of the city.

Glasgow City Council said it is already taking forward a number of major improvements which will lead to less City Centre traffic including plans to pedestrianise two sides of George Square.

Glasgow Times:

Scotland’s first Low Emission Zone (LEZ) came into effect in Glasgow City Centre on December 31 2018, which sets set exhaust standards for vehicles in an area and will apply to all buses by December 2022 while cars will also need to meet the strict standards.

READ MORE: Hope Street once more named Scotland's dirtiest street 

John Bynorth of Environmental Protection Scotland said: “These figures obtained by the Glasgow Times show real and meaningful improvements in air quality in one of Glasgow’s busiest streets during the first weeks of lockdown.

“Removing so much traffic, including petrol and diesel cars and delivery vehicles, from one of the busiest city centre streets in Scotland is already having an positive impact on the environment and for local residents.

“This has never happened before and shows the part that people are playing, not only in protecting the NHS, but in improving their overall health. 

“The big question faced by policy makers is how to use these massive drop-offs in air pollution during the Covid-19 crisis to build a more sustainable and healthy Scotland after lockdown ends.

“I think a complete car ban could be too much to ask of people, given everything people have been through with Covid, asking them not to drive might be too much.

“These figures are off the scale in terms of air quality improvements we might expect from a low emission zone.

“People are thinking about other alternatives than the car, they are appreciating the benefits of having a bit of extra space, being able to cross the road safely, being able to cycle safely.

“People in the suburbs, like Newton Mearns, they have maybe two cars sitting in their driveway that are not doing anything. They are maybe going to be questioning, why am I paying my car loan or PCP for that?

“It’s a good opportunity to show that you can have a strong City Centre economy without car use.

“If there is some sort of campaign that runs alongside the phasing out of lockdown, to consider active transport for example because it is ultimately protecting the NHS but cutting down on air pollution.”

READ MORE: Taxis could be forced off the road under low emission zone plans 

Glasgow’s Green MSP, Patrick Harvie, said: “The current restrictions won’t disappear overnight. It’s more likely they’ll be eased gradually, so that gives us a chance to rethink which journeys are essential, encourage more walking and cycling, and many people will keep making use of homeworking now they’ve got used to it. 

 “We also think it’s important to revisit existing Low Emission Zone plans which lack ambition, recognising that toxic air is a public health emergency in its own right.”

The council said air pollution levels can be influenced by a number of conditions, including differences in wind speed, temperature and levels of sunshine and said data for 2020 had not yet undergone quality control checks and will be continually monitored.

Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, said: “These figures do need to be treated with caution and undergo the proper checks before being formally published.

“Only fully ratified figures can be used to shape policy, rather than a snap shot comparison using initial data.

“However, the link between vehicle traffic and pollution is well understood and the reduction in vehicles moving around the city during lockdown has been there for all to see.

“It is therefore important that we do what we can to make sure any gain in air quality during lockdown is not lost as we emerge from the current crisis.“