Skip to main content

New freight air quality initiative to reduce harmful emissions in London

The LoCITY programme has taken its first steps to improve air quality in London by publishing data to help increase the availability and uptake of low emission vans and lorries, following its initial four months’ research. The research demonstrates that to reduce freight’s impact on London’s air quality the use of low emission commercial vehicles must be increased. It has also revealed some of the key barriers that are holding back the use of low emission vehicles. One area highlighted is a lack of info
May 26, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The LoCITY programme has taken its first steps to improve air quality in London by publishing data to help increase the availability and uptake of low emission vans and lorries, following its initial four months’ research.

The research demonstrates that to reduce freight’s impact on London’s air quality the use of low emission commercial vehicles must be increased. It has also revealed some of the key barriers that are holding back the use of low emission vehicles. One area highlighted is a lack of information about the capabilities, benefits and requirements of ULEVs. Without this information operators can find it hard to justify the purchase of low emission vehicles. A lack of impartial information on alternative fuels and infrastructure has been identified as a further problem. LoCITY aims to become the trusted source of advice and guidance for fleet operators to make informed purchasing decisions on low emission vehicles.

LoCITY is an industry-led programme helping the freight and fleet industry reduce its impact on air quality by increasing the use of ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs). 1466 Transport for London (TfL) is part funding and monitoring LoCITY to ensure it is a success. More than 600 organisations from across the commercial vehicle industry, government and academia are already working together on the programme to make the widespread use of low emission commercial vehicles a reality.
 
LoCITY aims to create new environmental operating standards and contractual clauses which will help anyone buying goods or services to specify the use of low emission vehicles.

It will also investigate, through research and trials, the impact of cleaner vehicles on business operations, to bust myths and give confidence to operators who may be considering adding low emission vehicles to their fleets.  
 
According to Mike Brown MVO, London's Transport Commissioner the industry has an important role to play in saving lives by improving our air quality, and over the next five years LoCITY will play an important role in helping increase the take up of low emission commercial vehicles.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Semi-autonomous hybrid vehicle trials show fuel, emission savings
    July 16, 2012
    The Transport Research Laboratory has unveiled an innovative semi-autonomous vehicle prototype. It offers improves in environmental performance and safety but also displays some shortcomings. Mike Woof reports. The UK's Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has been working on an innovative project to develop a prototype vehicle intended to reduce fuel consumption. Based on a Ford Escape hybrid model, TRL's Sentience vehicle uses a combination of mobile communications and mapping technologies to reduce fuel c
  • UK transport planning not giving sufficient priority to air quality, say researchers
    August 31, 2016
    According to two university researchers, UK transport planning is not sufficiently taking into account the environmental impacts of transport choices. Their report, which is due to be presented at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Annual International Conference today, says that road transport is the principal cause of air pollution in over 95 per cent of legally designated “Air Quality Management Areas” in the UK. Current estimates are that over 50,000 deaths a year can be attributed to air polluti
  • Intelligent parking guidance relieves congestion, reduces costs
    July 24, 2012
    O R Tambo International Airport, near the city of Johannesburg, is the largest airport in Africa. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and international travel to/from South Africa and is one of 10 airports operated by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA). This airport places a massive demand on road infrastructure and parking facilities since a majority of travellers get to the airport by motor vehicle. The demand for parking left many people searching for a parking space for eight minutes or more
  • UK TransiT Hub to lead digital twinning for decarbonisation
    September 2, 2024
    University-led project looks at how digital twins can build more efficient infrastructure