Siemens vow to tackle air pollution

Siemens, the biggest industrial manufacturing firm in Europe, have recently discussed their growing focus on improving air quality.

Despite ongoing efforts by the government and many local authorities to decrease pollution, many urban areas are instead experiencing an influx of traffic and congestion. Needless to say, our air quality is suffering.

In the United Kingdom, public health officials now recognise air pollution as “the most significant environmental risk to human health.” In fact, it is now the fourth most considerable threat to human health overall. The top three are cancer, heart disease, and obesity.

Now, Siemens Mobility Limited are planning to create, install, and maintain a Clean Air Zone in Leeds.

This system is expected to use the company’s Mobility Sicore II number plate recognition cameras to enforce the Clean Air Zone. In doing so, it will decrease the severity of air pollution by hopefully persuading other companies to start designing and manufacturing cleaner, greener vehicles.

The number plate recognition system is designed to understand which vehicles would be subject to charges associated with driving inside the boundary of the Clean Air Zone. At the moment, the only vehicles facing such costs are heavy goods vehicles, buses, coaches, and taxes. Cars, vans, and motorbikes remain unaffected.

Officials believe that this new system by Siemens, along with similar schemes currently in operation in cities such as London and Manchester, will help create a transport network that is cleaner, greener, and more efficient.

But what do you think? Do you agree that schemes like this can have a significant positive impact on our air quality? Let us know.

Written by Jasmin Collier