Agenda item

Public Questions and Petitions

To receive any questions or petitions from members of the public

Minutes:

5.1

The Committee received the following questions and observations from members of the public in relation to the Council’s Clean Air Zone proposals:-

 

 

5.2

Ibrar Hussain

 

 

 

·                     With regard to the Clean Air Zone coming into force by 2021, was there any possibility that the start of it could be delayed to allow for a phased-in approach to assist those who would be most affected, stating that the process will have a damaging effect on the taxi industry.  By having a phased-in approach, the proposal would be more achievable for all.

 

 

 

·                     Was it possible to see an exemptions list, and would there be any flexibility with regard to Euro 6 vehicles?

 

 

 

·                     The push towards the electrification of vehicles would place a financial burden on taxi drivers, with brand new taxi cabs costing between £55,000 and £58,000, would taxi operators receive financial help to cover this?

 

 

 

·                     If a taxi is licensed outside Sheffield, would the driver be exempt from the charge?  There was a need for clarity on this.

 

 

 

·                     The Taxi Trade Association was not against the Clean Air Strategy, however felt that if the proposals go ahead as they stand, the trade will be decimated.

 

 

 

·                     What will happen if there was a Judicial Review on this?

 

 

 

·                     What would happen to the Clean Air Strategy if the present Government lost power?

 

 

 

·                     With regard to private hire operators i.e. Uber in particular, what rules or conditions will apply to them?

 

 

5.3

Abdul Raheem

 

 

 

·                     With regard to electrification of vehicles, I understand the battery weighs 350kgs, and there are some issues around this, one being the radiation levels being emanated from this.  Would it affect the health of the drivers?

 

 

 

·                     Uber is destroying the taxi trade industry by reducing its fares to their lowest level. With the introduction of the Strategy, the charges will finish it off.  Also the majority of taxi drivers don’t have the facilities to charge their vehicles at home.

 

 

 

·                     How will there be control over electric vehicle charging points in the city? For example in light of the news of BP taking over Chargemaster.

 

 

5.4

Abdi Malik – Taxi Trade Association

 

 

 

The taxi trade was in agreement with the need for clean air but felt that there should be better consultation on this between the Council and the Trade, and asked:

 

 

 

·                     Was there a better way for the proposals to be phased in?

 

 

 

·                     Hardly anyone can afford £56,000 for a new vehicle.  What would happen if the Government don’t provide the money to assist?

 

 

 

·                     The railway station is a pollution hotspot, particularly on Fridays and Sundays, mainly through bad highways planning.  The Trade have asked on several occasions to hold meetings to overcome this but nothing has happened.  Sometimes, due to congestion, it can take up to an hour to enter and exit the Station area.  Will a meeting finally be arranged to address this?

 

 

 

·                     For the safety of both drivers and passengers, vehicles need to be partitioned. How will the proposals affect rear loading vehicles?

 

 

5.5

Tariq Nazir

 

 

 

The problems regarding pollution have been known since 2010 but nothing has been done. Why are the Council and the Government acting now and wanting this to be pushed through as quickly as possible?  In favour of something being done but it is the way it is being done.

 

 

5.6

Responding to the questions, Councillor Jack Scott (Cabinet member for Transport and Development) stated that he understood the pressures and frustrations of the Taxi Trades and its drivers and recognised that whilst they accepted the need for change, there was difficulty in accepting the charges and the costs involved to upgrade or replace the most polluting vehicles on the city’s roads, but there would be a combination of targeted support packages available through Government funding.  He said that air pollution was a major public health challenge, that it was damaging the health and life chances of people in Sheffield, contributing to the deaths of around 500 people a year in the city, so there was a need to improve the health for all by reducing emissions within the Clean Air Zone (CAZ), and ultimately the city as a whole.  Councillor Scott made reference to the consultation process and said that he was more than happy to hold discussions with the Taxi Trade and will take on board their suggestions.  He added that he would not support any rise in fees to recover the cost to drivers when they are required to invest in new low emission and/or electric vehicles.   Councillor Scott said that he could not anticipate technological advances by 2021, or what the range of vehicles and the charging structure might be, but at present there were 55 charging stations around the city and this was set to increase.  He added that if the City Council did not receive Government funding towards this proposal, then it would not go ahead.  With regard to the pollution around Midland Rail Station, Councillor Scott said that it was private land and as such, the Council could do little to improve the air quality due to emissions from diesel powered trains as well as the taxis and private cars.  He accepted that the Council had been in breach of the legal limit of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) emissions since 2010 and had fully supported Client Earth’s findings with regard to public health, but without Government funding, it had not been possible to tackle the issue before.  It was felt that with the introduction of the CAZ, air quality in other hotspots, i.e. Darnall and Tinsley, would significantly improve.  He stated that buses, Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) and Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), along with taxis, were also non-compliant and these needed to be brought in line to improve air quality.