In a report published today (November 1) by the public policy think tank Civic Exchange, one in four people surveyed are so concerned about the health effects of pollution, they would like to move to another country – this is a figure equal to people wanting to leave Iraq.

People from all walks of life, particularly professional drivers said they thought roadside pollution, motorways, tunnels and street canyons were the four sources that had the greatest impact on health.

Civic Exchange chief executive Christine Loh said: “The public understands clearly that the high daily concentrations of roadside pollution, poses the greatest threat to their health and many are thinking hard about leaving.”

The survey also found that while people believed the government’s information on air pollution and it took the public’s health into consideration, they did not trust it to set and enforce air pollution standards.

Christine Loh said: “We now have evidence that the government’s failure to release new Air Quality Objectives, and its inability to introduce meaningful measures to tackle roadside emissions is eroding public trust.”

Alison Brown

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