Slight improvement on previous year but levels still dangerous

Glasgow’s Hope Street remains Scotland’s most polluted street.

Annual data from Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoES) suggests air quality has improved slightly on Scotland's most polluted streets but it still remains at dangerous levels on some of the busiest areas.

Pollution levels continued to break Scottish and European air quality standards in 10 streets across four towns and cities last year.

FoES described air pollution as a public health crisis that caused more than 2,500 early deaths a year in Scotland and said it was costing the Scottish economy more than £1.1 billion annually.

Hope Street in Glasgow remains the most polluted street for nitrogen dioxide but levels have decreased from 65mcg per cubic metre to 58 while Salamander Street in Edinburgh is the worst for Particulate Matter, overtaking Queensferry Road in the capital and Atholl Street in Perth.

Emilia Hanna, FoE Scotland's air pollution campaigner, said: "Once again, streets in Scotland have dangerous levels of toxic air pollution which are breaking legal limits.

"The situation across Scotland is potentially showing some slow signs of improvements but filthy streets continue to poison our lungs nearly a decade after a legal deadline.

"Scotland's first low emission zone will be in Glasgow by the end of this year, and this will be an important test of commitment to address this problem. The rest of Scotland is looking to Glasgow to set a high standard with its low emission zone.

"Glasgow City Council must ensure that its proposed LEZ restricts the most polluting buses, vans and lorries by the end of this year, with cars and taxis restricted by 2020."

A Scottish government spokesman said it was committed to introducing low emission zones into Scotland's biggest cities between 2018 and 2020.

He added: "We will continue to work with industry to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.

"We have invested more than £210m in active travel since the start of the 2011 spending review, and the most recent programme for government announced that we would double the active travel budget from £40m to £80m in 2018-19.

"This will allow us to continue to build an Active Nation, boosting investment in walking and cycling and putting active travel at the heart of our transport planning.

"We have created one of the most comprehensive electric vehicle charging networks in Europe with more than 1,600 charging bays, an interest free loan scheme to support low emission vehicle ownership, and a £14.5m Green Bus Fund, which has seen the introduction of 300 low emission buses to the Scottish fleet.

"Our Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy sets out an ambitious programme of action to promote air quality and Scotland is the first country in Europe to pass legislation based on World Health Organisation guidelines for fine particulate matter."

FoE Scotland estimates that 2,500 people die prematurely each year because of air pollution which has been linked to respiratory conditions such as asthma.