It makes for a dramatic headline, but it is unfortunate that the Guardian has produced such a partial report on what a council meeting in York decided (York to ban private city centre car journeys to cut air pollution, 1 January).

The city tried to ban cars from crossing a single bridge in 2014 and it ended in failure – not because the idea of banning cars wasn’t a worthy one but because sticks have to be accompanied by carrots or they do not work. Banning cars is the easy bit. But what do you put in its place? Light rail? Biogas buses? A tram network? An electric car hire scheme?

York declared a climate emergency in March 2019 and the cross-party climate change committee is charged with delivering a zero-carbon future. Liberal Democrat, Green and Labour councillors are working to transform our response to the climate emergency. The committee has recommended the council adopt a cumulative carbon budget for 2020-30 and a science-based approach to evaluating the carbon cost of our activities, projects, procurement and investment from here on in. The city’s Lib Dem-Green administration is considering introducing amendments to this year’s council budget to enable these proposed changes to be implemented.

Turfing people out of cars without producing a viable and attractive alternative is a recipe doomed to failure. Major investment is required and we must take residents and businesses with us. I believe we can. There is no planet B.
Cllr Christian Vassie
Chair of climate change committee, City of York council

• Your article on York highlights how important it is for both central and local government to take urgent action to reduce air pollution in our cities and tackle the climate crisis. Transport is the only sector where CO₂ emissions are rising as our reliance on motor vehicles remains at an all-time high. If we are to reduce harmful emissions, we need to make walking and cycling the most attractive option for short journeys.

Bike Life 2017 – the UK’s biggest assessment of cycling in cities – revealed that 53% of people would like to start cycling or cycle more, but its perceived danger is still a barrier. Initiatives to take more cars off the road would make people feel safer and more confident.

However, this is only a first step. To see a significant reduction in air pollution and meet the target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, the government must commit greater funding to build dedicated walking and cycling infrastructure in our towns and cities.

Until we end our reliance on motor vehicles, we will continue to live with dangerous levels of air pollution. The government must take action to ensure all cities can introduce changes such as this, and that streets are designed with people in mind, rather than motor vehicles.
Rachel White
Head of public affairs, Sustrans

• Your editorial (27 December) says that “In the age of climate emergency the car is no longer the star”. The car has never been the star – more an asteroid that hurtles on our roads, too often out of control.

A significant omission from your long editorial was the annual global strike rate: 1.35 million killed, countless millions suffering life-changing injuries, many of whom are pedestrians and cyclists. Any other machine with this killing record would not be tolerated by intelligent caring creatures.

No mention was made of the behavioural changes that overcome some otherwise careful and considerate individuals. Once behind the wheel of their box, they are isolated, feel secure and, with terrifying power under their feet, become reckless toads of our roads.

Phase out the car, run trains on our motorways, trams and buses on our A roads, walk and cycle shorter town and city distances.

Learn to share again and liberate our urban centres from the tyranny of the private car with all its undeniable ills.
Dick Follows
Lancaster

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