Petition to get clean buses (not retrofits) on Streatham High Road

As part of our long-running campaign to improve local air quality, last week we launched a petition to get cleaner buses on Streatham High Road (as well as in Brixton and Vauxhall).

Poor air quality is the second biggest killer after smoking in Lambeth.  

In 2012 we discovered that it was running at dangerous levels.   We then measured air quality in side streets and found it running at 90% of the levels on Brixton High Road. This is of huge concern as Brixton has some of the worst recorded NO2 emissions in London. 

For a while this went unrecorded as Lambeth Council opted out of the London Air Quality Network. However, we successfully campaigned to get the three air pollution monitors back online.  

We are now also running air monitoring projects, as part of the "Mapping for Change" initiative around schools in Vauxhall and Streatham. 

There are several causes of air pollution including domestic and commercial heating systems, construction, industry, cars, buses and taxis. Lambeth Council also incinerates its waste having an impact on air quality outside the borough. 

Using data from TfL published on Green Assembly member Jenny Jones’ “how polluted is my road?” web site, we estimate that between a fifth and a third of pollution in Lambeth comes from buses, so we want TfL to clean up their fleet. This is one part of concerted action that both Lambeth Council and Transport for London need to take to clean up our air.

One option is retrofitting buses to lessen the pollution they give out. But this won't get buses to as high a standard as hybrid or electric options - and with Lambeth's very poor air quality, the issue needs to be taken seriously. 

If you want TfL to get a move on and give us hybrid or electric buses, please sign the petition here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/give-us-electric-or-hybrid-buses-in-vauxhall-brixton-and-streatham.html