00:00 The Clean Air Zone was first introduced in Bristol in November 22 to tackle high levels
00:05 of poisonous air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, which are emitted by motor vehicles.
00:12 A landmark report has now been published evaluating its successes one year on.
00:18 Nitrogen dioxide, which contributes to health problems like asthma, lung cancer and heart
00:23 disease, is measured in many tiny tubes scattered around Bristol.
00:28 Each month the diffusion tubes take a reading of nitrogen dioxide, providing scientists
00:34 with an annual average.
00:36 But what do locals think of the Clean Air Zone?
00:39 I don't have a car so that side of it has not affected me.
00:43 As far as the breathing, I don't get into town very often.
00:49 So the only difference was that if my family come to visit me they have to go a long way
00:55 round because they don't have the right sort of cars and so they have to allow a bit more
01:03 time and they don't come quite so often because it costs a bit more in their fuel.
01:08 But because I'm the only member of my family that lives north of the river.
01:13 Everybody else lives over the other side.
01:17 But that's okay, there's telephones and things aren't there.
01:20 I think it's a good idea but it does affect a lot of people.
01:28 So it doesn't really affect us, we don't really have an opinion of it I suppose.
01:33 Air pollution levels have fallen on average across the city by 9.7%, with some areas falling
01:40 by over 20%.
01:42 But a few parts of the city have actually got worse.
01:45 Most areas both within the CAZ and outside saw a reduction in air pollution last year,
01:51 with an average of 12.6% inside the CAZ and 7.8% outside it.
01:56 But according to the evaluation report, a few diffusion tubes actually measured increase
02:02 in nitrogen dioxide.
02:04 Blackboy Hill at the top of White Ladies Road near the Downs saw a whopping increase by
02:09 42%.
02:11 Oh, that amazes me.
02:15 But maybe the people that need to use Park Street can't find another way around.
02:21 Or if they're in businesses I suppose, they've just got to go there, haven't they?
02:25 For the environment, it cleans up Bristol.
02:27 When we had Covid there was less traffic about and there was less air pollution so it will
02:32 be effective I think.
02:34 In 2022 the site was within its legal limits for air quality.
02:39 But last year measured an average of 51.4% of nitrogen dioxide per cubic metre of air.
02:46 I must admit I've not been terribly aware of the pollution except by what I hear on
02:52 the news things because I suppose I've just always grown up in Bristol and you just accept
02:59 stuff.
03:00 Only time will tell if Bristol will get to net zero by 2030.
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