Decision details

1.               That the Cabinet Member for City Highways approved the following:

·             The introduction of a trial 50% surcharge for all diesel vehicles paying to park within F Zone (Hyde Park, Marylebone and Fitzrovia) as contained with section 5.1 of the report.

·             The publication of Variation Notices issued under Section 46A of the Road Traffic Regulation Act (“The 1984 Act”), in order to give effect to the recommended change above.

·             The expansion of on-street electric charging provision as contained within section 5.2 of the report.

·             The extension of the optical sensor technology proof of concept in taxi ranks informing taxi drivers of real time availability as contained with section 5.3 of the report.

·             The deployment of Air Quality Champions to support the wider anti idling work of the parking services team and wider council as contained within section 5.4 of the report.

·             That each of the above is implemented from May 2017 or at the earliest opportunity thereafter, with the exception of the diesel surcharge which will be implemented on Monday 5 June 2017.

2.               That the Cabinet Member for Environment, Sports & Community approved the sum of £184,050 from the LEN budget to facilitate the initiatives referred to in the report.

The rationale for each proposal is outlined in detail in section 5 below, but can collectively be summarised as follows:

·                 To reduce vehicle emission pollutants in the City and encourage model shift to more sustainable means of transport.

·                 To enable provision of additional electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

·                 To discourage unnecessary car and kerbside use.

·                 To make a difference to the quality of air within the City.

·                 To understand customer travel patterns and to foster behaviour change.

·                 To discourage the highest polluting vehicles from entering the City.