Road users driving in the zone will be slapped with an immediate £50 fine unless they are a resident of the street, a blue badge holder or a member of the emergency services. The trial will run up to July 2020 and comes after parents have begged for vehicles to be barred from getting close to school playgrounds. A new survey of 954 parents and residents found that a staggering 90 per cent support closing streets to vehicles more regularly. Three-quarters of those surveyed said they were worried about car emissions and exhaust fumes on children’s health during the school run.
The Sustrans survey also showed a total of 72 per cent felt roads were safer for residents and locals when closures had been in place.
Birmingham Councillor Waseem Zaffar said: “Car Free School Streets are about putting children and families first, making it easier and safer for them to walk or cycle to and from school, while also helping to reduce air pollution.
“Air pollution is a major problem here in Birmingham and the school gate is a location where we are particularly exposed to this. As the father of young children myself, I know that I cannot simply stand by and do nothing.
“This pilot scheme is a hugely positive step forward and is one of a number of things we are doing to tackle air pollution and encourage people to make greener travel choices.”
The plans come just a day after Sadiq Khan’s car free day, which saw 200 roads closed across Central London.
Over 10,000 postcodes were also affected by delays and congestion, while over a dozen buses faced diversions as key access points were blocked off.
The Bike to School week initiative also kicks off today in a bid to swing children and parents away from using cars to travel to school in the mornings.
Xavier Bruce, chief executive of Sustrans said taking up cycling would prevent children from being exposed to dangerous air pollution levels while encouraging physical activity as part of their day-to-day activities.
He added: “We all know that we are living with dangerous levels of air pollution in our towns and cities.
“Despite this, the latest figures from the National Travel Survey shows that 45 per cent of primary school children in England take the car to school – a one per cent increase from last year’s figures.
“These figures are worryingly high, with the average journey to primary school being just 1.6 miles – a distance that can be easily cycled.”
A new poll from Compare My Move shows London has the highest UK pollution commute in the country, with hotspots also located in major cities such as Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham.
But the chart also shows a spread of considerable pollution across regions of middle and southern England. Moderate pollution also litters the map, with coastal areas such as Norfolk, Dover and Devon affected.
Only a handful of areas across the country are deemed to have low air pollution as the country continues to battle with CO2 levels.
Young people have increasingly shown their support for climate movements, with many skipping school on Friday to join in on a global climate protest organised by 16-year-old eco-warrior Greta Thunberg.