The Environmental Scrutiny Committee has carried out a task and finish exercise to look at the issue of air quality in the Welsh Capital.

The extensive report will be presented to Cabinet by the chairman of the committee, Cllr Ramesh Patel at its meeting on September 20^th.

Cllr Patel said: "In order to help Cardiff meet EU air quality directives my committee and I have heard from 38 expert witnesses over many months and the findings are now being presented to the Cabinet.

"Cardiff, along with many other cities in the UK have to find solutions to this issue, as air pollution is the biggest issue that the Council's administration will have to deal with.

"The assessment undertaken by the committee has been thorough and detailed findings have now been collated and the Cabinet now has time to consider the findings and respond accordingly.

The recommendations made by Environmental Scrutiny Committee are:

• Clean air strategy should be the number one priority for the Council
• To be compliant in the ‘soonest time possible' it seems inevitable that there will be a need to create some kind of clean air zone or low emission zone, however, in taking a decision on the best way forward the Council should follow the scientific evidence gathered in the feasibility study.
• Work with WG for guidance and funding
• Consider, evaluate and scrutinise the advice identified in the feasibility study and use it as basis for a scientifically based decision.
• Reduce Nitrogen Dioxide from the priority routes coming into Cardiff
• Consult and work with neighbouring authorities
• Continue with the aim of a 50/50 modal shift between the private car and public transport / other forms of sustainable travel.
• Creation of ‘low emission neighbourhoods'
• Review of supplementary planning guidance on air quality; review of wider traffic and pollution implications from new developments
• Use the free resources available from Public Health Wales and Natural Resources Wales
• Link air quality with promoting existing public transport options
• Increase 20MPH areas and 75% residential parking
• Reinvesting income received for ongoing or future initiatives into transport schemes
• Scrutiny committee to scrutinise the proposals contained within the green paper
• Building the new bus station
• Improving cycling and walking infrastructure/nextbikes/active travel and park & ride
• Gradual increase in parking charges and monitoring city centre car park development
• Setting out emission standards for taxis and how they can be achieved
• Enforcement against taxis that are blocking bus lanes
• Reduction of bus emissions by lobbying for financial support to upgrade/change the stock
• Development and promotion of park and ride schemes and bus lanes
• Single ticketing scheme for public transport in the South East Wales Region
• The use of bus lane transponder schemes - which allows buses not get stuck in traffic
• Consider environmental impact of cruise liners coming into Cardiff
• Sustainable fuel strategy/sustainable fuel infrastructure
• Work with the motor trade to deliver a trade show for electric/hybrid and hydrogen vehicles
• Consider and evaluate the recent report commissioned to increase the number of electric charging points in Cardiff
• Build the need to use sustainable fuels into the procurement process
• Have at least one hydrogen refuelling station in Cardiff
• Encouraging all major public sector organisations to encourage their staff to use active travel
• Work with For Cardiff (Cardiff Bid) to engage with the business community, for example, to communicate new proposals and to identify measures for improving air quality.