2 minute read
Editor’s View
Editor’s View
By John Lamb
Better public transport can ease pain of CAZ
Ihave to admit it. My car’s a bad boy diesel. But it has all the modern gizmos to pass the tests that allow it into Birmingham now that the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has kicked in.
By the way, a colleague who is an expert on CAZs, tells me that the DVLA has changed regulations and it is best to re-check if your vehicle is still compliant. I’ve checked, and it’s still ok and can travel into Birmingham – and Bath for that matter – without charge, saving £8 a day.
It’s only the second diesel-powered vehicle I have owned, all the others being petrol.
But I can’t help feeling a degree of guilt when I hear of friends and colleagues who have gone electric or at least part of the way there.
Am I really destroying the world with my twolitre gas guzzler? Not that it has done much damage since I bought it eight months ago. It’s hardly been off the drive since we were forced by you-know-what to give up commuting into Birmingham at least five days a week.
The savings have been enormous and, as for many people, the biggest blow of having to return to the office will be expense of filling up the tank every week.
However, the prospect of being permanently back in the office any time soon does seem remote.
Of course, most of us would leave our cars at home if there was an effective public transport system. And, thankfully, we are getting our act together in Birmingham. Joining the vastly improved bus network will soon be the extended Metro system.
And when the Midland Metro stretches from New Street Station to Five Ways I will have little excuse for not using public transport because from then on it’s but a short walk to the office.
I will still have to drive two miles to the station at the other end of the journey and the bonus is that parking is free. Perhaps that old bike will have to hit the roads again.
Any nervousness about travelling on public transport in the wake of the pandemic should be assuaged soon as more people are vaccinated. And judging by the number of people who are trying to travel abroad on airplanes, the bus, train and tram operators should have no problem.
The introduction of CAZ into Birmingham (see page 22) is an important step in dealing with the poor air quality that has blighted the city for so long. That is why the Chamber has worked closely with Birmingham City Council to help businesses prepare for the start of the zone and secure financial assistance where needed.
Our Business Toolkit can be found on our website and offers a raft of information on how businesses can access financial support, upgrade their vehicles and raise awareness of the zone among their networks.
Happy travelling!
