Two more councils back Newcastle clean air toll plan

Plans for a clean air toll in Newcastle city centre have been approved by two more councils.

Under the scheme HGVs and buses would be charged £50 to enter the area from 2021 with taxis and vans paying £12.50.

Gateshead councillor John McElroy said it was "vitally important to deal with air quality".

The plans, which have now been backed by North Tyneside, Gateshead and Newcastle councils, have been submitted to the government.

At a Gateshead council meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Jonathan Wallace raised concerns the scheme would lead to polluting vehicles moving to the Gateshead suburbs.

He also said low income families would be effected if bus companies increased their fares.

But the Labour-run council's leader Martin Gannon said it would look at ways of improving access for electric vehicles as well as "looking at pace at the issues of improving the Metro system".

Alongside the fees, council bosses are planning to cut traffic on the Tyne Bridge to one lane in each direction in a bid to deter drivers, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Originally the toll included private cars, but that was scrapped after objections.

Opponents of the scheme had feared charging private cars would hit the poorest communities hardest because of a possible rise in bus fares.

Ministers told Newcastle, North Tyneside and Gateshead councils to come up with a plan to cut dangerous emissions in Tyneside by 2021.

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