6 June, 1999

Dear Mike Barrett

Many of the residents in Merton are aware of the health risks and unpleasant side effects that poor air quality has on residents of large cities. It is of the utmost importance that all individuals take responsibility for improving the air quality in London.

The three pollutants that are likely to exceed recommended limits of safety by 2005 are nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and PM10. London Research figures show that 75% of nitrogen dioxide, 97% of carbon monoxide and 77% of PM10 are from car emissions.

There are a number of courses of action that I would like to suggest to the council to help in its duty to cut air pollution in Merton:

• A publicity campaign should be launched which informs the public of the issues. The general public is often not very informed as to the nature and extent of the problem AND how they can change their life style to ease, in this case, poor air quality. There has not been much publicity of the issues in the local media.
• Residents need to be aware of the fact that they can use alternative forms of transport, such as a bike, and that they can use the roads in safety.
• The Merton cycle map should be distributed more widely, and it should be accompanied with a plan of how individuals could help reduce air pollution.
• Statistics should be made available so that people can tale stock of their actions. (E.g. 50% of journeys are of two miles or less.)
• The general public needs to know how their actions such as driving pupils to school, doing short trips to the shops etc result in a decrease in the nations health. (E.g. an increase in child asthma).
• Vehicles that are excessively polluting need to have more sanctions placed on them - 10% of the vehicles cause 50% of the pollution. The authorities MUST be very strict on vehicles that exceed recommended levels of emission. Offending vehicles could be wheel clamped or heavily fined.
• The reporting system of these vehicles is already set up in the dirty vehicle hot line. So the infrastructure is in place. It needs to be advertised and used effectively.
• MPs in central government must be challenged on the measures that they hope to implement by 1999 after the 1998 traffic reduction bill. It is partly the responsibility of environmental officers of local authorities to hold MPs responsible for putting this into practice.

The only way that pollution will be reduced is by spreading the message so that it appeals to a wide cross section of the population. Working on campaigns at a local and a government level will help to reach as many individuals as possible. Giving people their democratic due and allowing them to feel safe if they choose to use alternative forms of transport such as cycling is a right that many citizens should demand. A publicity campaign must be accompanied by sanctions. To improve air quality a wide spread and radical action plan needs to be implemented.

I look forward to hearing from you

Yours Sincerely

Jean Curry